6

A few days later, I was in a bad spot mentally. Every time I'd tried to make plans for my last summer vacation, everyone said we had time and we'd work on it later. Fine, they all had their own stuff, but I felt like history was repeating itself… But with more people.

It wasn't just Darby this time.

I was forgotten by all of them. Even the commanders who promised that my last summer before graduating they would let me have fun and not be assholes.

Now that they'd locked me into being queen, they didn't keep their promises.

Good times.

So a few days after the graduation dinner that ended up being a big hit, I was in a conference room in my castle doing paperwork.

After being ignored during training about making plans now that summer was here.

Oh, and I was alone.

Good times.

I was signing the rest of the finalized everything for the delayed sentences. It was all done, the amount of fines paid and extra crimes uncovered honestly ridiculous. And now there was a standard for people to know what awaited them if they fucked with fairies.

Hell, that was enough to celebrate. But no, I was signing my name a million fucking times all fucking morning for the hard copies to send to councils and to be fucking scanned into our digital records.

I wasn't salty about that.

And I'd about hit my limit with being brushed off and feeling left behind again. So when Julian showed up asking to go cleanse to help my mood, it was hard not to tell him to fuck off.

Seriously.

I'd been buried in paperwork for days, all alone and ignored. No one fucking cared for the one thing I wanted and really needed.

To feel valued as Tamsin.

I teleported him back to the portal without even meaning to… And tipped over the huge table with piles of files and papers all over as I stood.

Shit.

"You know what, fuck it. Someone else clean up all of the messes. I'm tired of it always being me and no one caring what I want," I rasped, feeling as petulant as I sounded.

If people weren't going to care about me and have fun with me, I could do it on my own. I didn't need others to have fun.

Sure, I didn't.

I teleported to a different portal and was about to walk through when Neldor grabbed me and spun me to face him. Horror was on his face and fear in his eyes.

"No, wait, I fucked up," he whispered. "Please, baby doll, just come with me."

I yanked away from him and curled my lip at him. "I'm not shattering or whatever. Don't make this a dramatic thing and—go away. You're just as bad as they are." I wanted to say more, but I felt him tap into my magic and he hugged me to him as he took us through the portal before opening another portal and pulling me through.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he breathed as he hugged me tightly. "Don't blame them. Don't—fuck, don't be in this pain. I wanted it to all be a surprise."

The moment he stopped using my magic on me, I shoved him away hard enough that he fell. "Don't do that again or we're done."

He swallowed loudly but nodded. "I couldn't have you in any more pain."

"That doesn't even make any fucking—" I snapped my mouth shut when I realized there were tons of fairies and people around us. I adjusted my neck and tried to squash down what I was feeling.

And then it was confusion as I heard squeals and excitement.

I slowly glanced around and frowned before looking back at Neldor.

"We didn't ignore you. We would never. I thought you knew we were—"

"I told you that you have to tell her that you're plotting something and to not leave it alone," Julian bitched. "I told you that this was really hurting her! You said to give you a chance and—"

"That's enough, Dr. Craftsman," one of the commanders said quietly, his tone tight.

I put up a barrier over Julian, Neldor, and me… Sighing when Hudson, Lucca, and Darby knocked on it to be let inside.

"What is going on?" I whispered after I let them in and hugged myself. "Pity?"

"Tams, never," Hudson whispered.

"No one wanted to take me until you realized I was breaking or something right?" I snapped, gesturing to the entrance of the theme park. "I've been asking for years that we do this again and I wanted—"

"I rented it," Neldor blurted as he jumped to his feet. He nodded when I simply blinked at him. "Baby doll, please, don't hurt from this." He pulled pages out of his back pocket and handed it to me. "We planned out the whole summer. I swear I thought you knew we were doing this. You would suddenly smile after asking and I thought you heard thoughts or—"

"That was her fake smile lying everything is fine," Darby snapped. "I told you that."

And then they all started arguing and shoving at each other. My magic froze them when Hudson took a swing at Neldor.

"Sorry," I whispered as I released them. "I didn't mean to."

"No, I shouldn't have done it," Hudson accepted. "Thanks, shorty."

I nodded as I took in a long breath and let it out. "We're all—time out." I took the pages from Neldor and my eyes went wide as I looked over the three calendars. "What—who?"

"There's more," Darby said as he pulled out a few more pages and handed them to me. "That's just this week."

My eyes went bug wide as I took in the map and details printed out of a list of food challenges. "What? I don't…"

"Neldor, Lucca, and I worked on the amusement, theme, and water parks," Hudson explained. "Because there's more to it than just going. Julian and Darby handled the food challenges, mapping and plotting it all out so fairies are around those areas glamouring and acting like you for your cover. Other areas too so you're ‘public' all summer."

So they brushed me off, ignored me, and flat-out rejected spending time with me when I asked so they could set up this whole summer vacation surprise thing? Instead of doing it together? And letting me think they'd forgotten all the talk and promises?

Yeah, I smacked them all, not caring who saw or was yelling outside of my barrier. I just kept smacking them anywhere I could reach them and any of them who were stupid enough to come close to try and stop me from going after one of them.

And when I thought I was finally calm enough to talk, my magic opened portals under them to the ocean.

I shrugged when I took down the barrier to all of the shocked faces. "They can all swim."

My dad burst out laughing and came over to me. He gave me a huge hug and kissed my hair. "You're right, they can. Those idiot men. I told them this wasn't the way to handle it." He leaned back and beamed at me. "They should be grounded for a while, right? Weeks at least."

I ran my tongue over my teeth. Did this man think I was stupid?

Taeral snorted. "You only wish. They'll be all over her apologizing and trying for makeup sex."

Iolas barely stopped my dad from slugging the fairy.

"You idiots are just as bad," I sighed.

"We didn't know you were being kept in the dark until yesterday and were ordered not to tell you, Your Highness," Stefanie defended, gesturing between herself, Shael, and the other female commanders… Including even Commander Talila who looked annoyed for me. "We said there is too much going on to keep big secrets."

"And even good secrets can hurt in a relationship or cause pain," Talila grumbled. "Fools." She shrugged when I looked at her. "You cannot be shocked that I'm not a fan of surprises, Your Highness?"

No, not at all actually, and I agreed with her.

So I went with the female commanders and a dozen high-ranking female Guardians to go enjoy my surprise… Which was Six Flags Great America.

Seriously. Neldor had rented out the entire park for the whole day.

I needed that part explained to me, and I was floored as Stefanie did.

Basically, Neldor was using what the little girl inside of me wanted as an excuse to help fairies and Faerie. He rented the whole park under the guise of a training exercise.

Yes, the employees were all human like normal, but we had Guardians all around watching them. We'd taken over security and were training others how humans had advanced and even something like an amusement park was completely wired up and full of cameras.

Others were working on barriers and magic in the new way to hide it was fairy magic.

The newly awoken children were getting some much-needed fun with their families and a chance to see the human world safely. Even the supes who were helping acclimate fairies were invited as well. It gave them a chance to have some fun instead of feeling pressure they needed to do a good job because their parents were allies with us.

It was even teaching those newly awoken how much food and money had changed. Those who hadn't spent time on Earth even before were getting the chance to be around humans. It was all protected and safe with tons of us all over the place to catch any mistakes or magic being used.

There were probably a hundred reasons we were actually horrible for doing this to the poor humans, but… I didn't care. We wouldn't hurt any of them, and we would all be really nice to them, unlike their normal workday.

If we had to—or already did—use some magic on them to alter what they thought they saw to protect my people for something so innocent, I didn't feel bad. And if they were good people, they wouldn't have cared. Yes, messing with their minds was overstepping and I would have hated it too, but we knew what we were doing and didn't hurt them.

I would let that go so others stayed safe.

My hobgoblin buddies were all right there after we went inside. They were glamoured to look like little kids, but they were older now, and I realized how hard it would be for them not to be able to go on the rides fairies their age could.

So I immediately went right over to them and made a big deal about what we were going to play on first. They cheered and I got them to dab with me—ignoring the groans of their parents—and hurried to scoop up Elasha. I peppered her face with kisses and carried her on my hip. She was more than Irma's daughter to me.

She was the first hobgoblin I'd ever met and had reached out to me when I'd needed it most. She would forever have a special place in my heart, and I never let her forget it.

We did the kiddie boats and goofy planes that lifted up and went around but weren't too scary for kids. Next was some old-timey cars that were on a set track. I had Elasha on my lap and Darfin was going to be on Shael's, but at the last second, Darby snagged him and slid on the seat next to me.

"I'm sorry, agra," he whispered when the ride started up.

"You were a bad boyfriend," Elasha said to him, crossing her arms over her chest and giving him a glare. "You don't deserve to be her fiancé if you aren't going to be better to her. I heard Mom say so."

Darby turned like he'd been slapped. For Irma of all people to say something like that about Darby who had known him before me from working at the cafeteria at Artemis… Ouch. "She's right. She's very right."

I felt his eyes on me, but I couldn't look at him, unsure of what to say or do.

"I don't want to put this back on Neldor. I messed up," he hedged.

"But?" I whispered.

"He made it about Faerie stuff," he sighed. "This being exercise for his people and… I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to handle it. It felt like I should stay out of it."

"Dad always says that doing nothing isn't doing nothing," Darfin grumbled. "It's the choice to not do something and shouldn't be forgiven. It's not being neutral, and it's worse than doing the wrong thing, so you should try to do something to help."

"I agree with your dad," I told him, having said the same thing many times. I met Darby's worried gaze then. "I don't have a life where you can always sit back. You knew I didn't know this was going on. You knew I was upset but chose to do nothing. That's worse to me than doing the wrong thing to help."

It hurt to feel how much my words upset him, but what I said was fair.

"You're right, but it is more complicated than that," he said quietly as the ride was winding down. "And it was made clear to me that I didn't have the position of your real fiancé given you aren't wearing the ring. That I was barely your boyfriend most days, and it wasn't clear that we were going to make it so to keep my nose out of it."

I let out a slow breath. "I'm sorry you were treated that way, but it's hard for me to forgive you because of that when you didn't tell me. You should know I would never allow people to treat you like that. I never have." I moved off the ride the moment it stopped and gave Darby a hard look. "When did you stop having such faith in me?"

"It wasn't lack of faith in you, Your Highness," Wyn said, standing at the entrance with Rafe and clearly waiting for us. "And it wasn't mean what we said to Darby. We were acting as his friends and…" He shared a look with the other fairy who outranked him.

Rafe sighed. "All I kept thinking of was how much Agis's words hurt you when he was stupid. When he didn't understand what was going on or what he was party to. I like Darby and want you two to fix what's happened and be happy. Truly, I do. I just… It seemed like he was going to go over the line and interfere with a present from your other mate. Mates even."

I nodded before looking back to Darby. "Is that where your head was?"

"Yes. That I would look jealous that I couldn't afford something as cool as this and like I was trying to torpedo the relationship every fairy wants to happen with your fated mate. They would hate me even more and not want me near you."

I sighed, hating that much pressure was on him. I kissed Elasha's hair and set her down so she could go play with everyone else. I gestured between Darby and me. "This is the team, you stupid vampire. This has to be the team for us to make it." I moved my hand out like there was a barrier around us. "Everything else is out there. I hear you, but it has to be out there."

He set Darfin down after he climbed out and took my hand. "I'm sorry. It's hard." Tears filled his eyes and he quickly wiped them. "I don't feel like this is the team because of what I've done, and then I get so lost and—"

I reached up and cupped his cheek. "Look, I get Wyn and Rafe were trying to help and didn't have bad intentions. But, do they know me like you do? Who should you have asked if it was about me?"

"Izzy," he sighed before leaning his forehead down to mine. "I did. She thought you knew. Everyone thought you knew something was going on, agra. I swear it."

"Only you and Julian knew, and you didn't help me when I needed it. I have to know you'll help me, Darby. Please? Forget everyone else and help me. That's what I need from you. That's what I've always needed from you," I rasped, tears running down my cheeks now too.

"I swear it, agra," he mumbled before kissing me.

Stupid vampire. Stupid all of them.

I pushed him away suddenly, the shock and hurt in his eyes killing me.

But it wasn't because of him.

"Make sure the commanders account for everyone," I told him and the others around me firmly before teleporting myself about forty feet above them. I let my wings out and took off towards where I felt portals opening. I saw them seconds later… And the supes pouring out of them like cockroaches.

Idiots.

Good.

I put a barrier over the area of the portals and people, trapping them all in without them even knowing it. The flow of people slowed as I folded in my wings to land, so I called the magic of the portals to me to close them. I might miss some people that way, but there were too many innocents around to risk taking any chances.

I landed like a projectile, practically making a crater in the blacktop of the parking lot. I smirked at the supes who figured out they were trapped and started sending magic at my barrier to try and get out.

"I am the shield that protects Faerie and her people, and by the gods, they will not be harmed while I live," I told them before smiling in a way I knew wasn't nice. "I'm also the wrath the gods blessed to punish any stupid enough to try."

Then I did something new. I didn't just absorb the magic of the attacks shot at me like Taeral had taught me.

No, I pulled the magic from the people under my barrier like I could portals. I basically drained them of any power they had available. Not fully or to kill them, just so they were out of juice.

One by one they stared at me in horror, realizing what had just happened to them.

"I was born to be queen," I chuckled darkly. "I was born of a demigod with the fate to save a planet and the most powerful supe species. You guys aren't even a warmup for a real fight I would win."

And then I knocked them all out at once with my combined rune.

Iolas landed the moment I did and grabbed my arm to spin me to him. "Don't ever do that again! Our job is to protect you, Tamsin!"

"You forget yourself, Commander!" Morgan said firmly as he landed as well and tried to pull Iolas away.

Iolas yanked his arm back. "I'm her godsfather! I'm talking to my godsdaughter." He moved his hands to my shoulder with tears in his eyes. "Please. Please, Tamsin. You have to stop protecting all of us and let us protect you. I cannot lose you like I lost Meira!"

I hugged him, his pain echoing in me it was so strong. "Iolas, I'm fine. You worry over—I'm not going to die or break. You won't last long if you get this freaked out over every little thing."

"You blocked us from coming here, Your Highness," Taeral said, several others having joined us. He nodded when I lifted my head and couldn't hide my shock. "You put a barrier over them and a wall between us so we couldn't leave the park."

"Whoops." I shrugged. "I wanted you to protect our people. I handled the threat." I might have said more, but the power I'd absorbed roared in me, no longer letting me ignore it. I gave some to Iolas before I even realized it, feeling bad when he grunted. "I took a lot."

"Let us help," Morgan begged, relieved when I nodded.

I went to each commander and gave them a good dose of power. I was just about to tell them that I was fine when my stomach growled loudly. "I am fine. Just always hungry." I glanced around. "Let's get whatever help we can to deal with the mess and humans. Someone shut down electronics so no one can alert people, right?"

"Onas and Shael immediately did as you assigned them to their roles," Morgan promised.

"Good. Then I leave it to all of you," I said, shrugging when they were shocked. "I need the damn day off. I don't have to worry that you'll handle this."

I simply had a million other worries to constantly think about, including what the hell to do with the five idiots in my life.

Plus, my dad.