18

I didn't just humiliate them I… What came after humiliate? Mortify? I honestly wasn't sure, but I did that.

I obliterated their lives with what I made them confess, that was for damn sure.

I started "easy," making the four confess they hated the super stupid woman. That they all laughed at her behind her back and she was only on the show because she was pretty and wore revealing clothes. Also, they were all shocked she wasn't fucking someone running the show.

But she was making over a hundred grand less than the others.

Oh, and the second guy was being fucked by one of the station's executives… One of the male executives. The guy who said shit against Geiger and other homosexuals in the supe community was a bottom to keep his job. That was just fucking priceless.

I honestly didn't care who topped or bottomed in a relationship. I didn't think it mattered. It did in this instance because he didn't think he was actually gay. He was attracted to women but loved being fucked. He hated the man who did it, wasn't attracted to him, but loved the feeling of being fucked while throwing out gay slurs daily.

I didn't even know what to say as he rambled that confession. Like… Wow, bro. Seriously, he had issues.

Two hours in I swallowed a wince when Geiger showed up with Captain Dalyor, Rafe, Kerym, and Agis. Damn, someone had let something slip and they were all tattletales too.

I wasn't the only one who looked busted.

"Anyone else snitches and tells anyone, I will strip them of their titles and ranks," I warned, my tone cold.

"I apologize, Your Highness, but we're not enough for the information we're getting," one of the captains apologized. "We made them swear to keep this secret."

"I feel the same," Claudia added. "That was why I made the call." She shot me a look that she wasn't kidding and I missed something. "Can I ask questions and they will respond?" She waited until I nodded and moved by the top female of the group. "Tell us again who you were having an affair with and why you hate the princess so much."

She named someone and people went pale. Clearly, I'd missed something.

The captain handling her dipped his head to me. "You were focused on the other woman's fixation with your mate, Your Highness. This woman having an affair on her mate isn't remotely the worst of their crimes."

"So it's who the guy is," I surmised, glancing at Claudia.

"He was a commander of the Underground," she told me. "You recently took him out." She nodded when I couldn't hide my shock. "And she knew. She was working with him. How her name didn't come out in all of this—"

"Runes and magic aren't perfect," I answered with a shrug. "The mind is a terrifying and impressive thing, Claudia. People can frame things how they want. I see it all of the time. I still see people frame me as trash and an unknown because that's how they first saw me. They cannot process the changes and learning more.

"Putting them under runes won't make them tell us that I'm a princess. Their truth is still that I'm an unknown. The same could be said for that man. She wasn't this person to him. She was—whatever she was. That's the problem with only relying on runes and magic. That's why our investigations take so damn long and have so much paperwork. We don't only rely on magic."

"Well said, Your Highness," Dalyor praised. "Now, I want to hear about which one is a threat to your mate."

I went over to the second woman and smiled. "This one. This piece of trash. She's completely in love with my dragon. And my warlock. Oh, and just because she's a greedy one, she wants Neldor now too." I reached out and tapped her nose. "And she's an idiot. Tell him what happens if you mate Neldor?"

"I'll become Queen of the Dark Realm."

And just like when she'd said it earlier, everyone laughed. Those of us who had already heard it didn't laugh as hard, but the new arrivals lost their shit. The woman still didn't understand why we were laughing.

"Now, once again , let's try and listen to me," I said as if I was speaking to a three-year-old. "We have laws in Faerie. The queen can only be a fairy because she is queen ruler . There is no position of king in Faerie. It's against the law. No man may be of a higher position than queen ruler as stated by the gods ."

She frowned. "That makes no sense. Neldor rules the dark realm."

I studied her a moment. "How high is your IQ?"

"She really is that dumb," the first guy drawled. "Both of them are."

"I'm the only one with any intelligence," the lead woman grumbled. "And I've been repeatedly told that I needed to stop showing that and downplay it if I wanted to keep this job. I fucking hate the executives. I should have branched off years ago."

"You wouldn't have made it without us," the first guy chuckled.

That threw a match on the powder keg I'd been building, and I accepted food as the two of them yelled at each other. They let out everything with the runes making them say too much. I watched them like a tennis match.

"Can I get Izzy for this?" Claudia asked me quietly. "She's really going to be upset we excluded her from this drama when others have joined. Plus, she keeps up with the gossip." She gestured between the two now screaming at each other. "We don't. I have no idea who half of these people are. Izzy would."

"Good point. Yeah, have Ara assign you someone to slip away with."

We were recording it all so we could dig into it, but all the fairies there had no idea what was really going on. The other three were reacting though, so it had to be good.

Another twenty minutes and Leigh moved over by me. "There is a reason we didn't want more people and those closer to you, Your Highness. They would stop the rest of this, remember?"

I winced. Right. I sighed. "The best-laid plans and all of that." I sat back in my chair and blew air through my lips. I glanced over towards Geiger and Dalyor specifically. There wasn't a chance they would let me do what we were planning.

"There's more to this?" Ara hissed, clearly having overheard us. She swore under her breath when we both nodded. "I should have expected that with you by now, but it still surprises me every time."

Fair.

"Okay, okay, they need a break soon," Kerym broke into the argument. "Bathroom breaks and more. The runes can only be used for so long, and now they're just screaming nonsense."

"Get it ready. Use that and we go fast," I told Leigh before looking at Ara. "Take someone to the bathroom so you don't get a finger pointed at you."

She glanced between us. "I think I'll take my chances and make sure someone is watching your back, Your Highness."

Leigh didn't even take offense. "You can wipe my mind later if I hear something I shouldn't, and we all know you guys will now that there are more captains here."

I frowned at her. "That wasn't the point of this."

She studied me a moment. "I believe that. When you say it. I don't trust any of them."

I swallowed a sigh. But she used to trust all of the ancients. Fool.

Whatever. There was a reason we weren't going to be friends. After her trust had been broken, she had no faith in anyone.

Yes, fine, that sounded a bit like me, but my trust had been repeatedly broken, and I'd worked hard to build it back up.

It was another ten minutes before logistics were worked out and two of the cameras were kept in their positions, but one switched to a chair a bit off to the side. Once three of the five were being handled by others, I nodded to Leigh and we made our move.

Which was basically putting me in the same type of hot seat… Minus the restraints.

I put the runes on a circle under the chair and plopped down, instantly feeling the magic. "Whoa, this is trippy." I giggled when the camera moved closer but made sure to keep Leigh and me in view. "Okay, let's get started."

"Have you ever embezzled or misused any of the vast funds you have access to?" she asked, starting with a bang.

I scrunched up my nose. "That's what you ask first when I'm under runes? Wow, I wondered what it would be, but I didn't think that. No, not ever." I snorted. "Nobody better fucking misuse any of it or I'll seriously fuck them up. Do you have any idea how much work has gone into getting all that fucking money together?"

She just blinked at me.

And I blinked at her. "I feel a bit inebriated. That's not how this normally goes, right?"

"Oh shit," one of the captains hissed from my left. "We're all getting demoted. The commanders are going to demote us."

"And skin us," another groaned.

I glanced over to them and winced. "I can't stop that unless I'm queen, right?" I winced again when they all answered no. "I can repromote you though." I giggled and focused back on Leigh. "So we might not have hours. This is like taking shots."

"It's because you used your magic to do it to yourself," Dalyor growled as he stormed over. "It rebounds and amplifies. Shut this off. Now!"

I smirked when he bounced off the barrier I put up. "You're not the boss of me. I'm the boss." I stuck my tongue out at him. "Oh well, that was mature." I shrugged when Leigh snorted. I realized the flaw in my plan when he just went for the camera and the guy running it.

That was fixed with a quick barrier, and I put one over Leigh as well.

"I made a deal, Dalyor. I can demote your ass too. Don't be a dick. Okay, well, we need to put a warning on this that it's affecting me and it's not fair to hold it against me." I sighed. "People will. That's not fair, Leigh. I wanted to be fair and do it too to be fair, but people will be mean about it if I'm drunk Tamsin. It's not my fault. No one else can do this to me."

"I think they'll forgive you since it was your idea and it's bold," she admitted. "Back to the funds. All of it has truly gone to Faerie?"

I nodded. "Of course." I snorted when she seemed hesitant. "Do you have an idea how much of my personal money has gone to Faerie? Money that was supposed to be mine." I frowned. "Technically not to Faerie but feeding fairies." I gestured to the group. "We eat a fuck ton. Like a fuck ton . Faerie wasn't open.

"Everything was dead. Ya'll ate a ton. How much do you think it costs to feed thousands of fairies that became tens of thousands? Then hundreds of thousands. Then a million. Then millions and on and on. Gobs of money. All mine." I snorted again. "You're worried about me stealing from the government? Are you kidding?

"I've spent so much money that I will never see. I spent so much of the light fairy trusts. People bitch that I got all of that money. Oh, okay. Right. I invested it. I spent it to feed everyone . Where do they think those hotels came from? My magic didn't make those. Those weren't just pulled out of someone's ass. Magic can't make food like that."

"What the hell is going on here?" Izzy demanded as she stormed over to us.

"I'm being fair," I told her.

"It's the deal we made," Leigh defended when Izzy turned on her.

"It's true," I agreed. "We don't like each other, and we wanted to make sure we could establish trust." I gestured between Leigh and myself. "So the deal is she got to ask me respectful questions under runes and I allowed the establishment of a Faerie media organization that the government wouldn't ever interfere in. As long as there was a corruption interview yearly. It's fair."

"Of course, you did," Izzy sighed. "Why are you like drunk though?"

I shrugged. "My magic is a pain sometimes?" I waved her off and pointed to Leigh. "She has this limited chance and free shots and she asks if I'm embezzling. How? What funds? I mean—from where?" I felt better when Izzy snorted. "Right? More like I stole a ton of funds for Faerie."

"Tams, um, yeah, let's not talk about that," Izzy groaned.

"What money did you steal?" Leigh pushed, and I felt magic flare.

I frowned at her. "I stole a shit ton of money for Faerie." I snorted when her mouth dropped open. "I already told you that it took a shit ton of money to do all we have. I can't shit gold, Leigh. For one, that would probably hurt. Yeah, I stole money from bad people." I gave her a look like duh . "My dad and I raided illegal gambling halls.

"And we bought solar panels. A few farms worth of meat to feed everyone. Shit, construction materials." I narrowed my eyes at her. "I keep telling you that you're stuck in the past. Things are way more expensive, bro! Those solar panels are fucking expensive . I keep telling people that most humans cannot afford them.

"They're a luxury . And we're skipping ahead of the cost it took to figure them out. So yeah, I get why the gods say to help the humans." I frowned. "I mean, stealing from bad humans so they can't do more bad things helps them. But I've handled like a dozen cartels now. A bunch I had arrested, but—well, several are dead. Like really dead.

"Super dead." I snickered. "But I'm not letting those governments get that money after I did that— we did it. So yeah, I stole the money and fed our people. Built us new housing." I sighed when she just stared at me. "Dude, a lot of people were living in poverty. Like poverty . I know. I lived in poverty. I was a foster kid and lived in some trash places.

"That's how too many fairies and hobgoblins were living in Faerie." I grabbed my head. "I think we need to contact Calarel. I'm going to get yelled at." I blinked at Leigh. "So yeah, I've never stolen from Faerie. I've stolen for Faerie. A lot. And I'll do it again." I shrugged. "I steal from bad people to help my people. I did it before I knew I was a fairy."

She seemed to snap out of it and realized she needed to hurry up. "Are you really going to keep five mates? Is there one you love most?"

"I'm with four," I corrected her, still frowning. "I could never pick between them. It's like trying to pick between chocolate and peanut butter. You can't. Or like chocolate, caramel, peanut butter, and pretzels. Something that all goes together and is amazing. Banana split with toppings. You can't not have the toppings and—Julian."

"You pick Julian?" she gasped.

"No, he's here," I answered with a bright smile. "I want a hug."

"Always, my sweet mate," he said as he walked through my barrier. He lifted me up… And blocked me from the circle.

"Cheater," I grumbled as I snuggled against him.

"Yeah, but you can't use those runes on yourself," he said as he held me, careful of my wings. "I get what you were trying to do, and we'll figure out a way, okay? You're too powerful to ever do magic that stabs you back." He was frowning when I looked at him. "Please?"

I sighed, knowing I'd cave when he gave me that face. I brushed my lips over his and shut it all down. "I asked for Calarel. I feel super drunk and almost pukey."

"We'll talk to your da and see—"

"I gotta start figuring out how to do stuff without him, Julian," I whispered as I hugged him tighter. "I'm going to lose him soon." I looked up and saw Lageos there. "I'm going to miss you so much." Tears blurred my eyes. "They're going to eat me again when you're gone, just like Faerie wants to. I'm so scared that once you're gone, everyone will eat me again."

"No, they love you now, Daughter," he rasped, suddenly in front of me.

"I still don't want you to leave me," I said before breaking down sobbing and reaching for him.

He took me from Julian and cradled me as if I was a child—like he never got to when I was a child—and comforted me.

Once I was settled, he passed me back to Julian and then turned on Leigh. "Explain to me what I walked in on and why I should not end you."

"Dad, I was being fair," I whined. "I was being a fair fairy. I did it to myself. It was my damn idea. And Dalyor got pissy with me when I'm the damn boss. Beat him up."

Julian snorted. "He wants to be your damn mate and boss in bed. Let Neldor have a crack at him."

I snorted next. "Like any of you are the boss of me for anything, especially in bed."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, my sweet mate," Julian purred. "I will call you ‘Father' if you upset her right now."

I clearly had missed something because Lageos mumbled about him being a git. Calarel arrived and looked like she might thump me but gave me a check over and said Julian made the right call and I needed healing runes and food.

I always need food and made a snarky comment about that.

"Okay, okay, I understand," Lageos said once Leigh was done and so was Calarel lecturing us both. He pinched the bridge of his nose before giving me a look of love. "You are so pure even with all of the darkness you have lived, Daughter. It—I worry so much for you. It will take five mates to keep you from being turned dark with all you do."

"What did you do now, shorty?" Hudson growled.

I turned to see him standing with Lucca and Darby, Neldor already laying into someone off to the side. I just held open my arms to Hudson. "Huggies?"

He sighed, but it worked, my dragon chuckling when I let out a "wee" at the height difference. They were filled in and then glanced at Izzy.

"Hey, I got pulled in late too. I'm all for you guys spanking her."

"No, that didn't—"

Hudson moved his hand over my mouth. "I thought you took off the rune?"

"It hit her back, but mostly she just feels drunk, and drunk Tams is honest, lovey-dovey, and a bit whiney Tams," Izzy answered.

"I can't even get mad when she speaks facts," I mumbled. "Also, horny and hungry Tams. H&H Tams." I snorted. "Let's dance, beastie."

"Oh gods," someone chuckled, probably Lucca.

"I'm going to be the only demigod with gray fucking hair," Lageos grumbled. "Fine, I understand the purpose of this deal and even applaud it when you are pressing more and more for everyone to be more transparent and be held accountable. You, new CEO woman. I don't like that you don't like my daughter, but I will still help.

"It's a necessary skill Tamsin needs, so I will show her how to do it as part of her schooling. You can also do your show into her education which her people should want to know more about. I have heard many want to know more, but other supes are always annoyed how she excels. But my daughter doesn't want to brag. I do as her father. That's my price."

Leigh accepted it, thinking it was smart.

"Nel, you gotta be the adult and spank the five assholes," I told him. "They're bad people, like dayumn they're into shit. And we got the receipts. I doubt we even scratched the surface with the way they were yelling at each other. We need Izzy to explain it all and—the tea was spilled. All over my fucking castle."

"She's too adorable like this," Hudson mumbled. "Seriously."

"I swear too much to be adorable," I argued, flushing when several snorts echoed in the room. "Fine, feed me and call me pretty and I'm happy. I want popcorn and to sit with Izzy as we watch allllllll the tea. Tons of tea!"

"You got it, shorty."