By
Erin R. Flynn

My name is Tamsin Vale… And I’m no longer the last fairy. I found someone else finally and brought them out of the darkness.

A huge part of me wishes I hadn’t. The answers he had weren’t ones I wanted. I can’t trust him, and I don’t think he’s going to be any real help with the serious trouble we’re in.

Plus, he’s poking the men in my life and they aren’t handling it well. Everything is shaky right now. I’m on the outs with Mel and everyone has an opinion on that. We win one battle and more evil pops up. I make up with one man in my heart and another hurts me.

All I want to do is run, but I made promises that I plan to keep. I might be doing that alone instead of with help like I’d thought. Maybe people will come around. Maybe things will get better and I can find a way not to give up.

It’s probably more likely I’m going to learn about supe prison from firsthand experience.

NOTE:
Artemis University is an ongoing hot burning reverse harem, university-age paranormal academy series with darker elements, strong language, violence, and a heroine who follows her own moral compass of what is right… And who she ends up giving her heart to.

In the last book when Tamsin is losing hope, Faerie ‘aids’, and I use that term loosely here, her in releasing a fairy from the darkness. Doing this hurts her and the fairy released isn’t what Tamsin hoped. Prince Neldor is a royal pain in the arse, he believes they are betrothed, something Tamsin will not ever go along with. He annoys everyone even the almost unflappable hobgoblins. She also delivers some vengeance to some who need that which will cause a bit of chaos in this book.

In this book we see the first of the consequences of the vengeance, which really is nothing more than a lot of hot air and annoyance.

Professor Campbell shows her true colors in this one and Julian finally realizes how blind he’s been, that was fun…

Mel is still pissed and has distanced herself, totally not getting that what Tamsin did not only saved her live but her family’s as well. This is causing Tamsin a lot of pain, but there really is nothing she can do about it.

White, Craftsman and Larson are evaluating how much energy to unlock another fairy. In this way perhaps it could be done without hurting Tamsin. It’s almost surprising that Neldor is the one who finds someone who will boost everyone’s mood. Especially her lawyer Geiger who is quietly becoming more frustrated.

Cluym is a dark fairy like Neldor but he is also Geiger’s mate, so hopefully will have some logical sense. Everyone is anxious when the time comes to do this, all hoping it works and Tamsin isn’t injured again.

This is a favorite scene, it’s a little long but it was necessary.

I felt the tension shoot up from Craftsman, Zack, Ray, Izzy, Dean White, Instructor Larson, Lucca… And even Neldor. I ignored it and knelt down in the circle of boxes of crystals and my smaller reservoirs like before. We had debated using the bigger one, but given how my magic liked to go off the rails in Faerie, this was more than enough, and we knew this level would unlock one fairy.

The proof of that was standing with us.

I took in several slow breaths and let them out as I focused my center and then prayed to the gods. Please? Please give me the strength to do this and not hurt myself again. My friend needs his mate and we need the win. I need the win and hope. I need some good and hope instead of Neldor.

Sad, but true. Ramping up my magic wasn’t how I did it this time, more it was so excited, I simply opened the door and tried to hold it back from all coming out. The waves of it swirled out of me as it got free, layering more and more as it shot towards Cluym as I wanted.

And then it was done and much faster than when I’d let out magic into Faerie to push back the darkness. It was easy, so easy. I actually blinked down at my setup and couldn’t hide my shock. I was wiped and it had taken a lot, but it was… I finally believed Neldor that I was made to do this. My blood was part of the spell my mother had cast to help or whatever.

I snapped out of it when I felt magic surge in front of me.

Lucca didn’t hesitate though, using the charm I’d given him to lock Neldor in a barrier of my magic so the dark prince couldn’t break it. We all knew he was going to use this moment when I was wiped to take control of what was going on.

No fucking way. I was not letting him take control of anything, especially not when I was involved.

“Cluym, Cluym, it’s okay,” I comforted as I jumped to my feet. I moved closer to the handsome dark fairy whose eyes were wild with panic. “Call your magic. It’s okay. You’re okay.” His gaze locked with mine and the fear got thicker. I didn’t know what else to do, so I blurted out what came to me first. “Adrian is waiting, Cluym.”

“Adrian?” he coughed, his magic ramping down. “He’s here?”

“No, at my house. I’ll take you to him, okay? He’s been waiting.” I blinked back tears. “He’s been waiting a long time for you, Cluym.”

He rubbed his throat and nodded, giving me a confused look. “Who are you?”

“Tamsin Vale.” I swallowed loudly when he did a double take. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re grown,” he rasped, closing his eyes. “I’m so sorry, Adrian.”

“He needs you. He’s missed you so much. Let’s go see him.” I held out my hand to him, glad when he opened his eyes and took it.

“Yes, thank you, Princess.”

I ignored that, relief filling me that I’d managed to make this happen.

“Tamsin!” Izzy squeaked. “Tams, you overdid it again!”

I glanced over my shoulder at her and my eyes went wide as I felt more magic flare. “Oh, fuck.”

“Yes, it seems we were wrong on the level of magic it takes to unfreeze a fairy,” Dean White grumbled. “That was the level it took to unfreeze Prince Neldor.”

“We should have realized it took more to unfreeze such a powerful fairy,” Instructor Larson bitched.

“Why? That’s not logical,” I defended. I shrugged when he shot me a dry look. “Okay, it is, but it could have gone either way. We get a pass on this shit.” I dropped Cluym’s hand and moved closer to the four other fairies who were also unfrozen. “Call your magic, but know it’s not lost. You’re safe and I’ll explain everything.”

“Who are you?” the one with the most magic snarled, not backing down when the others started to.

“Tamsin Vale. I unfroze you, so chill out, and let’s get you food because you’re going to need it and fast.”

Izzy snorted. “Yeah, we gotta get a ton more. We only got gobs for Cluym.”

“Princess Tamsin?” the light fairy whispered, instantly shutting down his power. “Is it truly you?”

“I’m Tamsin Vale,” I repeated, holding up a hand to cut him off. “You guys are going to need fuel and fast. I know it’s a lot, but you’ve been frozen a while. I’m sorry, but we weren’t planning for all of you, so let us help you. Everyone here can be trusted.”

“Except you have Prince Neldor in a barrier,” one of the other fairies worried.

“He deserves it,” I drawled, rolling my eyes and going back for Cluym. “It’s going to be cramped in the vehicles since we have more, but we’ll take you to Adrian.”

“Yes, please,” he whispered, more than ready to see his mate.

Good.

His willingness to move things along and come with us seemed to push the others—who I thought were all light fairies from their lighter tones of hair color and eyes—and we got in the vehicles. The fairy with the most power demanded to be in the same vehicle as me, which I found odd, but let it go. Poor Izzy had to sit on Zack’s lap in the other SUV.

And I almost died of laughter as Dean White did the same on Ray’s so we all fit.

“Not one word,” she said from the front seat.

“I wouldn’t have thought of it,” I muttered from where I sat on Lucca’s lap.

“I don’t mean to question you, but you’re going to leave Prince Neldor in a barrier there, Princess?” Cluym worried.

“Only until the energy of the charm wears out, and then he can join us,” I promised. “It’s just a time out.”  I smirked when Lucca snorted. He’d voted for the fae dogs to eat the dark prince when I’d filled him in on what was going on.

It had been tempting for sure.

Larson pushed the speed and Craftsman had no problem keeping up. Luckily, it wasn’t all the far and the moment we stopped, I couldn’t get to the portal fast enough. I hurried to take Cluym’s hand again, scared out of my mind and excited all in one big ball of spiraling energy even as I needed fuel.

I fired up the portal and about dragged him through, pulling him along as I showed him the way. When we entered the kitchen, I saw Darby sitting at the table with Geiger and Claudia, my heart swelling even as I had no idea what to say. “Geiger.”

He turned to me with a smile, but then his eyes went wide and he stumbled to his feet, rubbing his chest as he took in a shaky breath. “Am I hallucinating?”

“No, my love,” Cluym choked out. “I came back to you. I’m so sorry, Adrian.”

“None of it matters as long as you’re safe,” Geiger whispered.

I let go of Cluym’s hand and he about flew across the kitchen to the dragon. They wrapped their arms around each other and kissed with so much love that everyone in the room could feel it.

Leaning against the wall, I covered my face and started crying. I’d wanted this moment since I’d learned Geiger’s mate had been trapped. I’d sworn I would bring the three of them their mates, and I finally could get at least one of them. I could finally deliver someone the one they loved and heal some of all this pain.

Lucca hugged me and kissed my hair. “You did it, kitten. You did it.” He murmured comfort as I nodded, the tears still coming.
Flynn, Erin R. Reaching Answers (Artemis University Book 8) (Kindle Locations 2261-2341). Supernatural Script, Inc. Kindle Edition.

Now along with Cluym, several light fairies were awakened. Iolas, Captain of the Light Guardians and four of his Lieutenants. While they still need to acclimate, they do know Tamsin is the heir and their Princess. They will protect her, even from Neldor.

Julian messes up even more by making assumptions, now they have to figure that out. More with the fae dogs, and allies with regard to the hobgoblins still in captivity and oh so much more!

Every page in this book is either sizzling or an adventure in one way or another. Lots of good, more bad unveiled and somewhat taken care of as Tamsin continues to unfreeze fairies a few at a time and continues to learn not only in classes but from others as well.

I am already reading the next book in this series as it became available just before I finished this one.

5 Contented Purrs for Erin!

Erin is a born Chicagoan who decided to state hop a bit, given she works from home. She currently resides in Georgia with her pup, Lord Vader Flynn. With an eclectic and addictive personality, there isn’t much that doesn’t interest her or she won’t pour herself into if it catches her fancy. She has always been interested in the darker aspects of life and mythologies—especially vampires, shifters, the occult, and anything paranormal.

To date, she has published more paranormal books than she can keep up with the characters for, in different genres with dedicated readers who await each release to her numerous series under any of the three Flynn names she writes.