1

"Well, it did something," Lageos muttered as he studied Mary Craftsman.

"Her aura flickered," Anya White agreed. "If I had to compare it, I would think it was how my aura would flicker when I sink into a nice bubble bath."

"Yes, or when Tams sinks into an ice bath after too hard of training," Julian agreed.

"That makes perfect sense," Neldor said firmly. "No one was stupid enough to think one time and everything would be fixed. This isn't a human pill you take for a migraine that takes a while to even kick in."

I realized he'd said that with a reason when several people gathered flinched. He'd caught something I hadn't because my sole focus was on Mary.

Neldor sighed heavily. "This is over twenty years of damage to her mentally, emotionally, and magically." He gestured to Mary Craftsman. "And now it's so far developed, it's doing physical damage to her. You thought one shot of Tamsin's magic that's never been done before and that would be instantly healed?"

He snorted something unflattering under his breath when it was clear most people there had thought so.

Nice.

"To be fair, the princess has pulled out miracles left and right even according to your own people, Prince Neldor," the warlock on the council who was an expert in healing defended.

"Yes, of course, but even her own cleansing can't heal all the damage that was done to her years ago after all she suffered. There is a limit to what any magic can do no matter how amazing the wielder. If Tamsin could not heal herself with the vast established knowledge the demigod already had, it was insane to expect that of something new."

I felt worlds better when everyone seemed to agree and were less disappointed more didn't happen. I shot Julian a worried look and winced when he caught me.

"Tams, it's a fucking miracle it didn't fail your first attempt," he said firmly. "I didn't expect her to just be healed. I'm with Neldor here."

"He is," Stefanie said firmly, clearly trying to help. "And I didn't expect that either. Saving Clyum's life was a miracle we've never seen, but as amazing as that was, it was reversing something extra lethal but had also just happened. This is trying to reverse the Grand Canyon forming in comparison."

I was glad others looked contrite for expecting something so ridiculous and we could move on then… And the smirk was wiped off Campbell's face. I hated how much that woman could still affect me but well, I wasn't perfect.

I cleared my throat to get everyone's attention. "I also took Professor Sontar's warnings to heart." I glanced at him for help.

He let out a slow breath and focused on Julian before the other supes there who weren't fairies… But very pointedly skipped Campbell to show she didn't matter. "I mean absolutely no offense in what I said and will explain. It's not a judgment or—"

White figured it out first. "You reminded the princess of the different level between her and a normal witch." She nodded when Sontar did. "Yes, even if you take into account her experience with witches and warlocks, she's worked with me whose father is a fairy. Julian who is a savant or Izzy who is gifted as well, but she would assume young."

I cleared my throat and glanced at Sontar again who nodded to go ahead. "Plus, Professor Sontar involved himself in my classes because Lageos and I… We tend to push a little too hard." I felt better when my dad winced.

"Yes, well, everyone makes mistakes. That wasn't your fault."

"Right, but we still did it," I drawled. I sighed and looked at Julian. "I was worried I might make your mom explode." I shrugged when his eyes went too wide. "Think of it like cleaners. You take paint off walls if you use the wrong cleaner. That's how I saw it. The cleaner for my stronger walls might explode your mom."

Sontar snickered, but everyone looked horrified. "The princess and her demigod father accidentally made a few very small animals explode when they tried to invent magic to help the animals of Faerie. Others have made such mistakes helping and inventing something new. She should not feel bad for that."

"Of course not," White said immediately. "I did something similar when I tried to help a dying animal through healing. We all make those sorts of errors as it's not exact science but magical arts."

I felt worlds better that she admitted it and so publicly. "Right, so while working on ideas and how to make this happen, Professor Sontar drilled it in my head that strong dye comes out of hair after a hundred or thousand shampoos and that works. That's safer than one wash that could make you bald. I agreed."

"I agreed as well," Lageos said. "I said that too and how your cleansing works. You did well, Tamsin. No one is saying otherwise."

"Yeah, but I just wanted Julian to know I really did worry about blowing up his mother, so you know, baby steps." I blew out a harsh breath and felt better when people chuckled.

"I think it's a first step you nailed, Daughter, and I'm very proud of you," Lageos said firmly, coming over and giving me a big hug. "Next semester we can work on another step." He kissed my hair and leaned back nodding when I frowned up at him. "I think you are exactly right that this is a step in the process."

"That's smart, Prince Lageos," one of the royal healers muttered. "Even detoxing humans or their processes to overcome addiction have steps. That's for mental and emotional health. This could be the step of stopping the advancement and allowing Mrs. Craftsman's body to accept this type of magic."

I blinked at the man and smiled. "I didn't think of that! Of course. I didn't start at cleansing for hours or even know—yeah, that could be like part one."

"Exactly, Your Highness," he said firmly. "I think this treatment daily with other therapy options for the next month will give us an idea of the viability of the plan."

"Other therapy options?" Julian hedged, glancing between us.

I nodded I would handle it. "We've been locking your mom down, and part of the buildup is not letting her extra magic out or like we said about adrenaline that had nowhere to go. We might have to use fairy runes to make it happen to muddle her mind for now, but we want her to let that magic out. Safely. In nature. The plants here or whatever.

"And then refuel on better food. Cleaner food. She wasn't eating much, but even what she did was microwave meals and crap. I want to have a hobgoblin here to handle her nutrition according to what the councilman and royal healers think. Also, with Cambell and two warlocks they think might have the same buildup."

"You've been talking about this without telling me," he whispered, trying to hide his hurt.

"No, the princess has not, Dr. Craftsman," the councilman said firmly. "I did. I did a lot of research which was the point of bringing this to us. I talked to the royal healers and we came up with ideas. I put out feelers to others. We brought this plan to the princess yesterday."

Julian studied the councilman but really his aura and there was the slightest flinch before he easily accepted it.

Which meant I turned on my telepathy. I smiled at the councilman. He'd done it for Mary Craftsman but also for me. He wanted to find a way to support me the way I'd supported him, the council, and his race. He'd been busting his ass to find a way to support what I was inventing to help this problem.

Or something that could work if I failed so people wouldn't really care if I did. Which was probably what Julian understood from his aura.

Of course, Campbell didn't think anything was wrong with her, but she agreed after White told her that she'd see the change from when even Campbell had started teaching. I heard from Campbell's thoughts that she respected White too much not to take her opinion into account, but she was more willing to do it to prove her wrong.

And it was still better than her dealing with teaching underprivileged supes and she'd have access to Mary Craftsman alone to become friends.

Wow, she really was just a wacko obsessed with Julian.

Seriously.

The warlocks were brought over for Julian to meet and make sure they wouldn't be a threat to his mother if they were going to be living in his house. People were shocked that he'd thought of that, but I looked at them like they were idiots. They were worried these people were going off the rails.

Yeah, we needed to fucking worry about that.

Duh.

Which was why I ordered four more detachments of Guardians on the property present at all times. People gave me funny looks then, and I said it was a safe spot for those newly awoken to get acclimated and stretch their legs on this planet while on duty. Hopefully an easy duty, but just in case… I shrugged.

The paranoid part was having a few of my dogs hang out there as well.

Fine, I didn't trust the council or most anyone.

Julian allowed them to stay at the guest house. One was like Campbell and thought his family was being ridiculous but wasn't going to go against his grandma when he loved her as much as he did. That gave me hope for him.

The other one actually thought something was wrong. He'd been struggling to put it into words, but his memory was slipping and he'd noticed it. He'd been through too much and like Mary Craftsman, had lived in a state of his adrenaline shooting up too often and being swallowed down.

Which made me ask how the council had found both men.

They worked for the council… Under the old, corrupt council members and had been trapped in that madness.

Yup, that would send anyone not evil off the rails or cause them to lose themselves to survive.

Julian had a long talk with his mom and told her that he was worried about her, that she'd been mixing things up. She argued and finally he lost his temper—which was rare. That made her stop.

It was actually Campbell who came up with the plan to placate her and help.

And I was petty enough to hate her for it.

"If I may, Mrs. Craftsman, there is a simple way to bridge the difference of views here," she said smoothly, waiting until Mary looked at her. "Record Julian's visits." She shrugged when Mary looked appalled. "You have security in the house. What's the difference? If you think Tamsin—" She sighed when a few people cleared their throats.

Yeah, the bitch didn't use my first name and act familiar with me. I agreed on that.

But Julian caught on and picked up the baton of the idea. "I'm fine with it, Mum. If you truly think Tamsin is doing something to my memory instead of that I think something is wrong and affecting yours, then let's settle this."

"She would mess with the recordings," Mary accused. "She just added more goons here to watch me and keep me a prisoner—cover up all of this."

"Watch yourself," White said firmly, putting power into her tone. "I am head of the council that governs you now."

I shared a look with the commanders who were there. "I'm willing to recuse myself and name Anya White as the judge in this going forward. Not the council because I don't trust everyone getting elected, but I will her." I met Mary's gaze when she looked at me. "I'm not hurting Julian. I have accidentally when I first learning magic or—"

"That was nothing, Tams," Julian sighed.

"I know, but we're being honest, and I have nothing to hide on this. There are things I'm ashamed of or have done wrong. But I haven't done this." I kept Mary's gaze. "I have saved his life. I would never abuse him or hurt him." I took off my charms and runes, letting her see my aura. "I've never abused or intentionally hurt my mates. Any of them."

The anger and hate always in her eyes when she looked at me hesitated just for a moment. But then it came back, and I hurried to put everything back on before she asked something she shouldn't when she was reading my aura.

Which was also why Julian silenced her. He held out his hand and used magic on her, shocking both of us. He shook his head at her. "You've gone too far, Mum. You are too far gone. Do this because it's the only way I'll visit you. I haven't been visiting you. You've been hallucinating all of this. Making up lies to hurt me. What would Da say?"

That was maybe cruel when she was sick… But I didn't fucking care about hurting her and it worked. She caved and promised to record their visits and interactions so she could see them, have them for reference.

They worked on getting plans in place, and papers were drawn up to transfer jurisdiction of both Mary Craftsman and Campbell's cases to White. I made sure the wording was specific to her, and the other council member signed as the witness so there wasn't any maneuvering later.

When it was done, I realized so was I.

I met Lageos's gaze and it softened, him seeing from my soul or in my eyes that this was too much for me. Or maybe it hurt too much to see Julian and Campbell working together again.

I trusted him. I did. Full stop. He'd never crossed the line with her.

But there were just too many bad issues in that room for me. I had too much on my shoulders to force myself this much to be… It wasn't even being an adult. I'd done more than most and invented the damn thing to help her heal.

Lageos told me in our minds to leave and he'd handle it and make sure Julian was okay. He could be his father-in-law this one time when the lad needed it.

Good. I thanked him and promised that I was going to take the night off and let myself be spoiled. He was on board at first, but then he must have caught something that made him realize how I planned on being spoiled.

Whoops.