2

"No, I'm not giving you guys burritos," I told my dogs as they tried to give me cute puppy eyes and begged. I huffed when even Chief tried it. "Do you remember how you all smelled up the garage last time? It was so toxic that I could smell it in the house . That's how horrible your farts are when you have taco meat and whatever else sets your iron stomachs off."

As funny as it was that they could eat people and they were fine—supposedly—but burritos without beans made their toots toxic… And I didn't want to go through that again.

I'd never seen the dogs eat a person, normally only burn them with fae fire.

But they could. They could fucking eat a person like nothing when they had to handle evidence according to our teachings. I didn't know how that helped more than burning them but always good to know?

I sighed when they all danced around me again. "Fine, but you guys sleep outside or in Faerie tonight." I chuckled when they started howling, not worried since we were taking a break in Faerie and they were playing. "And you have to do like four huge laps of this area so you digest it well and don't try for seconds."

Again, I got howls of agreement.

And lost all of my burritos. Damn cute dogs.

I laughed as they raced off to keep their end of the deal, always so damn serious about everything and honorable. Except now I was hungry.

Just as they finished up, it was time to go. Chief asked that they could play some more and I allowed it, telling one of my detail to please get me more burritos and to bring the pack home in a few hours.

Neldor took one look at me when I arrived and snorted. "Are you making them sleep outside?"

"I won that bet," Stefanie chuckled. She smirked at me when I frowned. "I bet you would cave and give all of your lunch to your spoiled dogs even if they stink up your house."

"Yes, yes, I'm such a softie," I drawled. "Let's go scare the shit out of the last general." I walked into the interrogation room Onas gestured to and immediately picked up the gun off the table.

Along with a bullet.

"A funny thing happened when you drained those witches and warlocks for their power," I said as I opened the chamber and slid in the bullet. I spun it around and flicked it closed before aiming it at him and pulling the trigger. I smirked when he let out a yelp. "Your flight or fight response was distorted. Taking in that much magic basically fried some nerves."

"I can take whatever you can—" he growled, annoyed he'd blinked already.

"Yes, you guys are all trained to take excessive amounts of pain. It's part of the repercussions of what you did to yourselves," I accepted. "We realized that fast. Our normal methods wouldn't work on you because you were all such a fucking mess. We accidentally fried the first's brain that way."

I shrugged as I opened the chamber of the revolver again. I met his worried gaze and spun the chamber around before clicking it in place.

"Goodbye." I aimed and pulled the trigger, smirking when he let out a noise. "Oh, not that time, huh? Wow, I wonder how long your luck will hold out?"

"Fuck you!" he seethed, trying to fight against the runes holding him.

Onas gave me the signal from off to the side, and I gave a slight nod.

I kept screwing with the gun to keep the general's attention on me. "You know, I came up with a way to cure you—the problem that happens to witches and warlocks who go all world domination with too much power." I spun the chamber again and flicked my wrist to close it in but didn't fire, fucking with him again.

"I refuse to be a test subject," he spat out, his eyes a bit too wide on the revolver.

"I wasn't offering," I chuckled darkly. "There's no point in saving you only to kill you. You're too dangerous for any outcome besides being put down like a feral dog."

I aimed the gun and pulled the trigger, the noise he made even louder this time.

"You're not even asking me any questions!" he bellowed.

I shrugged, waving the gun around and watching how he was fixated with it. "I don't really need to. And you know it wouldn't do much… Except… How are your mental shields doing?" I smirked at him when horror filled his eyes. "As I said, we learned a lot from that first general we picked up." I pointed the gun at him. "Bang!"

He let out a cry when I didn't pull the trigger. "This is torture."

"So?" Shael asked, chuckling when he gave her a look of horror. "Now you have a problem with people behaving badly after decades of your crimes? Hypocrite." She snorted when he tried to argue that we were the good guys.

"Hey, remember when you decided to grow your power by sucking down bad witches and warlocks?" I mocked. "You started this whole crusade to do good the wrong way. I'm not going to let an asshole like you judge us." I waved off his arguments with the hand holding the gun just to scare him. "Let's go back to that first guy because it's fascinating.

"Because your magic was so knotted up being more powerful than you should be and not cleansed of your crazy, your pain receptors were practically dead. That's how you can all tolerate so much. It's not your magic or power. You just have that condition some humans have where they can't feel pain."

"You broke yourselves overloading your body with magic you couldn't handle," Shael said bluntly.

"So because he couldn't warn us the pain was too much, when we went through our normal process of interrogation and his nerve endings were fried, his brain started to basically melt," I continued. "And I don't know if you've heard, but I have a tendency to shatter metal if I'm upset." I smirked at him when I pointed the gun at him again.

"And the princess has been very upset since her friend was killed," Shael purred.

"I have." I pulled the trigger and he let out a sob of relief that nothing happened. "That talent works even with metaphorical metal since I'm a telepath. Unfortunately , given you guys are all so fucked up, when I shattered his metal mental shields his brain kind of splattered." I shrugged. "Live and learn."

"It was incredibly fascinating," Shael agreed. "It taught us a lot. The way our healers and scientists are studying him is teaching us a lot, especially to help you with your continued progress to heal others. Now we have a whole other way to interrogate and warning signs to watch for so we don't lose the information we could need."

I nodded, smirking at the general. "Hence, Russian roulette!" I flicked open the gun and spun it around, closing it again before aiming.

"But you already broke my mental shields!" he yelled. "You have access to everything then. You are just torturing me for fun."

That wasn't true, but it worked better for his fear if he thought that, so we didn't correct him. The truth was more complicated, and we still couldn't put on the normal runes to have him confess or tell us honestly what we wanted. His brain, magic, and nerves were all a mess worse than Mary Craftsman.

Which meant he wouldn't register as a lie. Things he thought true or had happened could lead us astray. We needed him this distracted and afraid while fairies were combing through his mind beyond just telepathy so we got the real story.

So I spent another thirty minutes fucking with him before his fear grew too much and he passed out.

"He lasted longer than the others," Shael muttered. "And he was the toughest to catch."

"That means he's probably the strongest with the most information. Keep extra people watching him so he doesn't kill himself or damage the information we could get."

"Yes, Your Highness. The healers have been keeping them in comas while they recover," she told me.

"Right, even better." I thanked them all and walked out the door, ready to eat the lunch I didn't get.

"This is why I'm so worried," Julian said from my right. His eyes were full of almost panic as I looked at him. "A gun? You are holding a gun , Tamsin! You hate guns! Of course, I'm going to worry and ask Mel to—"

"Julian, calm down," I cut in, finally saying something. I had been too shocked that he was there at the prison in Faerie and even what he was saying. I pointed it at Neldor and pulled the trigger, my eyes going wide when Neldor swore.

"What the fuck, Tams?" he demanded, rubbing his hand over his chest.

"Nel, it's fake ," I hissed, nodding when he couldn't seem to get his mouth to work. I looked at Julian and tossed him the gun. "It's fake. It's not real. Neither is the bullet." I glanced at Taeral. "You didn't tell him? He thought I was really fucking around with a real loaded gun in there?"

"No, I told him not to worry and it was a joke," he muttered, giving Neldor a worried look. "It's a joke like in the movies."

"That's a prop , idiot," I growled. "They're prop guns , not joke guns."

"Oh." He frowned. "I thought joke or toy guns?" He glanced at Iolas.

"I thought the same. They used to have them in cartoons with those flags that came out that said ‘bang' for the joke."

"For the love of fuck," I groaned and went over to Neldor. "I'm sorry. Seriously, I thought—"

"I get it," he cut in, letting out a huff. "I just aged ten years but yeah, I was worried because everyone knows you hate guns and I told Julian I didn't know what to do."

"That's why the ploy was so effective," Shael explained as she joined us. "Everyone does know that the princess hates guns. It gives a level of fear to them that she has broken."

I swallowed a groan. Which Neldor thought was true.

And told Julian.

Who talked to Mel.

"Okay, I'll talk to Mel and explain," I chuckled, rubbing my forehead. "It's over anyways. We got the last bigwig."

"Where did you come up with a fake gun?" Julian muttered as he moved closer, handing it off to Taeral.

"A movie." I shrugged when they all stared at me funny. "I remember thinking it was cool that the character did something with a person's fear instead of using pain because he was Special Forces or something and could handle a lot of pain. It's different nerves and parts of the brain. So when Onas said the pain part was fried…" I shrugged again.

My stomach growled loudly before anyone could respond.

Luckily, my security detail was waiting with food. Julian talked me into taking a break and doing some cleansing with him and Neldor. That actually sounded fantastic. I felt too run down handling all of this, and I should have gotten rest over fall break.

Or as much as the next queen and current ruler ever really could.

Neldor talked me into having a press conference in Faerie the next day to give updates, and the parts we could show to other supe media, we would… And we would leave the rest to bed. The focus was that the Underground was no more, and as long as I addressed the situation with Luke more than an overheard snarky soundbite, that was enough.

Fine, but I wanted fun food the rest of the day because I was buried in paperwork. We both were since so much had been pushed back to focus on this.

And I had a ton of schoolwork to get done before Monday.

He agreed, and the next morning I was sitting before a handful of fairy reporters and the press conference was being broadcast to all the town squares.

"The princess will take limited and respectful questions, unlike some that are being demanded of her to answer," Shael introduced. "We understand that line better as we respect our people, but please keep in mind who you are speaking with."

I thanked her and nodded to the person to raise their hand first.

"Thank you, Your Highness, and I am sorry for the loss of your friend," she hedged.

"Let me correct you," I cut in. "Luke and I weren't friends like I am with Isabella Thorne or even Katrina Calloway. I would be devastated if I lost either of them. Luke was an ally. In another life, maybe we could have been friends, but while we worked for a common goal of taking down the Underground, we weren't on the same side.

"We both acknowledged that and were leery of each other because of that. He knew very well the moment the Underground was done, I would try to arrest him." I nodded when people seemed shocked. "He knew he'd gone over too many lines and I wasn't just going to let that go. He knew he should be punished and never forgiven.

"So yes, I am upset how things turned out. He gave his life trying to protect me, but it wasn't out of friendship. He didn't want the best chance to take down his enemy walking into a trap. There's a difference. A big one. Even if I tried to comfort him in his last minutes alive and I grieve the loss of him, we weren't friends."

"I think that's what might confuse people, Your Highness," she said carefully. "I don't grieve people who I'm not close with."

"That's fair," I accepted and let out a slow breath. "I'm pissed all of this came about. That's where I am. I'm pissed there was even an Underground ever. I'm pissed fairies didn't know about it even before the last war. I'm pissed it got so big while fairies were gone. I'm pissed the councils ignored it or turned a blind eye because of their own corruption.

"And then I'm pissed that it always comes down to fairies to save the day for a world not ours. I'm pissed there was so much corruption the generals of the Underground who originally banded together to fight that corruption had to . The police were corrupt. The dragons had so many problems that it was ridiculous.

"All of it should never have come to pass. That's why I grieve Luke. That's why I say in another life, we could have been friends. He gave everything to fight the bad, even if he became the bad to do it. He didn't lose himself like the generals of the Underground. He knew what he'd become and his crimes. That's worth grieving to me."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

I nodded and looked to the next person.

"I wonder how you met him to work with him, Your Highness?" he asked. "And his last name—any details you have."

"I don't know his last name," I admitted with a shrug, surprising people again. "I'm sure we've tracked it down now that we have more information, but it doesn't matter to me. He's just Luke. He's Luke who fought against the Underground because they tricked his mate into joining them and destroyed her. He wanted vengeance and to take down the monsters.

"And we met because he wanted to sniff me out. He wanted to get a feeling for me and if I could be an asset in his fight. How we met is still up on my supe livestream channel I think, saved on the VODs. I was raiding a place and he was sitting there."

I actually smiled thinking of the memory.

"He actually scared the crap out of me doing things others hadn't before and pushed me to work harder. He made goofy jokes and did some bad flirting with me for the act, but something irked me about it. He was trying to lay out breadcrumbs for me and get his own information if I would be helpful to his end goal.

"And he wanted me safe until I was strong enough to do just what we have done. He wanted to warn me that things weren't what they seemed for several things and make sure I was better protected in case I could help him. So yeah, I was ready to jump into saving him because he'd saved me. A few times. Fairies as well."

"Thank you, Your Highness," he accepted.

I glanced around and raised an eyebrow. "No more questions?"

Several shared a glance and one woman who hadn't spoken yet raised her hand. "I think the rest of what we're curious about crosses the line, Your Highness. Fairies by nature are nosy. I'm dying to know what he specifically helped with or how you worked together, but that could compromise the security of you or the Faerie Guardians."

"Thank you for understanding that," I praised. "The relationship was simple. If he found out something specific, he would slip into a setting I was at, and I also put a fae dog on him in secret. I will say he is the one who warned us about the threat to Lucca Von Thann and we were able to trap their operatives because of it."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

I let out a slow breath again. "Look, I know that clip that went around was sarcastic and salty—but I wasn't really wrong. Governments and leaders work with spies. It's not a weird concept, and we all know it's sexism and my age spinning people out. It was a hot wolf, so of course we had to be sleeping together and I'm a threat to Faerie."

Several people chuckled or snorted, so I felt better.

"A few of my mates met him because they didn't trust him. I didn't trust him. He gave good intel, but I had a tail on him. I had the commanders tracking him for his protection but also to get more information. Unfortunately, he was a slippery, adept spy and even ducked fae dogs." I nodded when people couldn't hide their shock.

"Forgive me for interjecting, but he lost a few of us even," Shael accepted, gesturing to the commanders. Again the shock was strong in the room. "He was a talented agent. He survived that long in the belly of the beast to climb the ranks, and his goal was always to take them down. The moment he identified the leader, he was going to take them down."

I nodded. "And he was damn sure it would mean his death. He was fine with that being the outcome after all the wrong he'd done. So he's not the hero of this story, but he deserves more than a ‘criminal' label and to be forgotten. I'm not defending what he did. I think it's a line none of us should cross and say we're good, but neither did he.

"He admitted he became a bad guy to get the bad guys… But how many lives did he save to do that? He killed someone to get into the Underground. That's part of their test to get in." I let everyone have a moment to settle that. "But he also helped get supe kids to safety instead of being sold by their leaders and then took out those leaders to protect more kids.

"So as much as taking that one life was wrong—how many were saved because he did? Because he did other bad things? I'm not justifying it, but that's why I say in another life, we could have been friends." I gestured to all the people around me. "If he'd had the right support and resources, a man so talented to duck Faerie Guardian commanders could have been something."

"And it saddens many of us that joining them to take them down was his only viable option," Neldor cut in. "He had the strength of a wolf through and through and hunted his enemy well."

"Forgive me, but you knew him as well, Your Grace?" someone asked him.

Damn him. This was why he'd wanted me to have the press conference and I didn't even catch it. He wanted to take the heat off of me again and some onto himself.

He nodded. "Yes, I met him several times and worked with him a few times when Tamsin was otherwise occupied with her duties. He knew how to contact me as well. He worked with a few of the commanders—none of us were ignorant as to the arrangement." He glanced around. "If there are no more questions on this topic, there are some updates we wish to discuss."

Smooth stupid fairy prince. He really did know how to have people eat out of the palm of his hand.

And I was too impressed to be angry with him.

He had already detailed the pillar of hope that I had invented and was now in the temple of the neutral zone of Faerie. It had all gone over well, and people were impressed with my magic. He updated them that four more were put into place, and after some discussion, we decided who the rest were going to be dedicated to.

"Are you fine with us knowing this before the pillars are finished, Your Highness?" that first woman checked with me.

I nodded. "It's to the fallen families of the fairy trusts. First being the Townsend family." I swallowed loudly. "I never knew them, but they clearly worked with my mother to make sure I was secure on Earth so I could return to Faerie and was protected. Their estates are the only reason I had such a large shield to be safe while I searched for answers.

"I would have been completely vulnerable in that society without money and power and we all know it. And the access they gave me—the alliances their families had in that world helped all of Faerie be revived. Neldor as well after I found him. He could access the dark fairy trust, and we were able to have a lot in place financially so we could help our people."

Neldor came over and moved his hand to my shoulder. "And while we will always mourn the loss of those families, their contributions to revive Faerie should never be forgotten. They left huge legacies from their knowledge and journals that helped both of us, to weapons that protected Tamsin from outing herself. We are only here because of them."

I reached up and patted his hand. "I pray they are watched by the gods and their sacrifice respected like our temples."

I was glad when people seemed to accept that, most of Faerie knowing how those high-class or noble families had given all their wealth to help their people.

We talked about the cleansing process for witches and warlocks and the progress made. We were working with the council and the Calloway stores to possibly start having healers to scan those who wanted to make sure they were fine or ask for help.

It was important to keep with the idea before others could ruin it or try and take it over, and we were going to make sure that didn't happen.

There were a few little things after that, but then it was done.

Except, apparently, it wasn't.

"One last important thing that we left to the end because of the gravity and we hope people are understanding about," Neldor said throwing me off. "There was an attempt on the princess's life recently that we did not get to address because of this other pressing matter and taking down the Underground. Some have noticed a change in her security though.

"And we did mean to address it as it occurred but—these things happen. Yes, we changed the protocols surrounding the princess's food." He nodded when there were whispers. "Even if it is food from hobgoblins. People noticed that and were offended we would ever doubt the hobgoblins' pure hearts and insult them in this way."

"Your Grace, are you implying a hobgoblin tried to poison the princess?" someone asked, their shock clearly overruling their decorum.

"Yes, that is what happened," he answered, ignoring the gasps and noises of surprise and continuing. "Zaos had repeatedly started issues along with several others at the Theripolis rest stop. Princess Tamsin intervened several months ago and mediated the situation. While others have rectified their behavior and dissent— somewhat —Zaos simply hid it better.

"The tipping point for him was when Princess Tamsin and Dr. Craftsman mated. He saw her unfit to be the ruler and acted to assassinate our beloved ruler. Thankfully , other hobgoblins let their conscious and hearts guide them as they should have and they warned off duty Guardians who stopped in for a meal. He was taken into custody and confessed under runes."

People were stunned for several moments before one recovered. "I apologize for asking what I believe is an obvious question, but my mind is reeling, Your Grace."

Neldor nodded, not making the man say it. "Yes, a hobgoblin was executed. I believe it is the first time in Faerie's history. I cannot be sure, but I've never heard of it either." He nodded when people started whispering. "It hurt my heart to do—"

"You did it?" I cut in, not hiding my shock. "Why did you do it? Lageos is Prince Regent and—"

The look Neldor gave me made my brain forget what I was saying. It was the look Julian gave me sometimes.

And Darby.

And Hudson.

Even Lucca now and again.

It was a look of love. Deep love.

"I was the one he confessed to under runes and who handled the investigation," he said firmly. "I will not let anyone hurt you—supe, human, fairy, or even hobgoblin. I will kill to keep you safe."

And now no one would doubt that. That was what he wanted to make sure people knew. More than anything, he wanted people to know that.