17

It took Lucca a while to calm me down and get me to finish eating. I wasn't surprised that he was gone after a nap, but I felt extra alone because of it.

And that made me angry.

Not at the five of them, but at everything else I had on my mind and shoulders that got in the way of my relationships.

I checked with the royal healers that I was fine, and they told me to take an easy for a few days and refuel. But that was it. I thanked them and went to check on the guy I had healed since apparently it might cost me the men who loved me—I wanted to at least make sure it worked.

"You pulled off another miracle, My Queen," Dalyor said under his breath when I reached the other healing rooms of my castle. I'd been in the private one off to the side and others were using the large one.

"I'm not queen yet," I mumbled as I took in the room. Healers were checking the guy out, his wings out… And one healed. I rubbed my hand over my chest. I'd done it. I'd fixed at least one and given him hope.

Given a lot of people hope.

"You've always been my queen—the queen I've always wanted to serve," he said quietly. "My attraction and need for you aside. You are the queen we have all waited for."

"That's too much for me to process right now," I admitted. "He's really okay?"

"Yes, and word of your miracle has spread around both realms. People are leaving their names with Guardians in the hope you can possibly heal them at your convenience." He gave me a sad smile when I looked at him. "There were many more hiding mangled wings than we ever fathomed. Our people have been acting like it's their shame instead of something that happened."

"The price of warring," I whispered. I let out a slow breath. "They're watching him so he doesn't hurt himself, right?"

"We have a Guardian squad with him here. We told him it's because we don't want anyone getting weird ideas and for his protection since you gave him a miracle. He's not stupid but appreciates the excuse of why."

"Good." I stepped out of the room before anyone could see me and scrubbed my hand over my head. "I need to think, and they want me to refuel. I'm not supposed to be using magic the next couple of days, so I'm vulnerable. Can you get—"

"I'll handle it, and we won't be assholes, I promise," he said gently. "But going to Vegas is out. I'll get newbies to get whatever you want. So just pick where you need that's quiet and we can secure. Please."

That was fair… I just didn't know where that was.

"I like the Great Wall of China," he suggested. "We can cloak. Sit up on one of the towers and stare out at the vastness."

"Thank you, Captain," I accepted. Yeah, that sounded perfect.

But first, a shower.

Once we were back on Earth, I sent a text to Lucca thanking him but that I needed some space. I was with a detail and fueling up like the healers wanted, but I just needed some space to think and get my head together.

I sent something similar to the other four and the commanders. Polite, but still apologetic for causing them concern.

"Who says I haven't grown and learned from my mistakes?" I whispered as I hit send. I felt a load off my shoulders from handling that and then happy when I saw someone waiting with crazy loaded potatoes from that place in Vegas.

It wasn't until I'd eaten two that something hit me.

"How were these—I don't even know where my wallet ended up," I worried, glancing at Dalyor.

"Your husband has it and the bag you had," he answered. "He charged your phone while you were sleeping too." He snorted when I apologized. "I have money, Your Highness. I can buy for you this time."

"Or another hundred times given how often you feed us," Rafe added.

I felt better when several others snorted. Agis, Kerym, and that other guy whose name I never remembered was there, plus a few other captains I recognized as their friends. At least we were more than covered.

"Okay, I take back that you're crazy," one of the captains said to Kerym. "At least about this. You were right that these potatoes are amazing and I'll dream of them too. The food is better. I'll stop calling you crazy for that."

Kerym snorted. "Just that? Not the rest?"

"No, you are a crazy fucker. It's fact. You're simply correct about the potatoes you get while hanging with the princess."

I wasn't the only one who chuckled, and it was exactly what I needed.

Next, someone brought us dozens of Crumbl cookies. They took turns with who sat with me while the other walked around and checked out the area. We were all cloaked, so they weren't worried about the humans. We were also out far from the tourist area.

It was still good they were doing their job like they should.

"Is it a trend with humans now that they don't cook their food fully?" one of the captains I didn't know well asked as he stared at his half-eaten cookie. "I remember them being fully cooked."

"Humans learned that cooking them fully can cause them cancer," I told him with a straight face. "A lot of foods even, so medium is kind of the standard now."

"Oh, interesting. I knew some charring could like eating charcoal but this—I find that surprising." He seemed to shrug it off and ate the rest of his cookie.

I shared a look with Rafe and we burst out laughing. "I'm fucking with you, mate."

"Thank you, Princess," he drawled when the other laughed as well. "I appreciate that."

"She does it to all of us sometimes too," Dalyor drawled as he switched with someone and grabbed a cookie. "The truth is that the earth is in crisis. Environmentally. So across the board, they work to use less energy, and a lot of times that's not cooking food all the way."

The captain didn't say anything for a few minutes before sighing heavily. "You're fucking with me again, right?"

I died. Seriously, I laughed so hard I had to wipe tears. The guy was a good sport about it, simply snagging Dalyor's cookie and flicking him off. "It's just this place, Captain. It's kind of their signature and they get shit about it, but—people like different things."

"Thank you, Princess." He reached over and cuffed Rafe upside the head. "That's your limit for picking on me this month though. Just because I'm the last to be awakened doesn't mean I'll just endure this."

"I didn't even do it," Rafe complained.

"Captain, I needed that laugh so bad you can use my house in Italy for your next vacation," I told him, feeling slightly guilty.

"I accept, but these idiots normally come with me. This is our group to go traveling when we get time off," he told me.

I think he realized that I needed to be distracted or the focus off of me because he started talking about the last trip they took together before the war. Others jumped in, and they were fondly remembering their time off.

It was a calm conversation, and I let it go on around me as I got lost in the gorgeous view.

Food kept coming, and I sat there for a while just eating and eating. We even left to use the bathroom and came back to eat more.

"Okay, we can go," I said finally.

"You work everything out?" Kerym asked as he stood and stretched. "So what's the answer?"

"I have to kill my uncle," I answered, shocking all of them.

"Um, not right now, right?" one of the other captains asked.

"Not right now," I promised. "But I want to stay in a hotel this weekend. Maybe I can get some good sleep if it's more neutral."

They seemed to accept that and it did work. I slept peacefully even if it felt sad to sleep alone.

I also wasn't surprised when I woke to find a few of the commanders in the living area of the suite. At least they had loads of breakfast.

"Three commanders handed in their retirement notices," Stefanie told me, starting with a bang. She smirked when I raised an eyebrow. "Yes, the three you were hoping for. Two were decided, but the last joined when you pulled off another miracle and are more beloved than ever."

"That wasn't why I did it," I grumbled as I sat across from her and snagged a few breakfast sandwiches.

"Of course not, but he realized that our world was yours and that's the way fairies and fair folk want it. So he turned in to request his retirement package and wished us all the best. He did it gracefully."

I snorted. Now he was graceful at least. He wasn't going to go kicking and screaming the whole way out, but he'd been an asshole more times than I could count.

"We know you asked for space but—" she started to say after I ate a bit.

"But one of them snitched about what I was going to do," I drawled. I froze in my next bite when Stefanie, Shael, Onas, and Iolas shared confused looks. "Are you saying the captains who guarded me didn't tell you what I said before checking in here?"

"No," they said together, Onas continuing. "We thought you could use some good news. And food. Plus, we were worried, and I wanted to update you on that fairy." He gave me a sad smile when I swallowed loudly. "He's doing better. We'll keep an eye on him. His brothers were Guardians and died in service. That was all the family he had left and—we'll adopt him."

"Good, good," I whispered, bobbing my head.

"Is it true you saw him die?" Shael asked gently.

I swallowed my next bite roughly. "Lucca chewed them out or something?"

"There were words traded," she answered carefully. "Mostly about them not giving you more time to explain when you've been working hard to get your magic to tell you when to stop and have been better not diving in headfirst always."

Onas snorted. "Just not snowboarding."

That was fair, and I snickered but then frowned. "They're valid in being upset with me. I should have stopped. I didn't realize I was bleeding. I just felt…"

"I'm sorry this is such a hard burden for you to bear. Another one," Iolas said gently. "Now, what did you tell the captains that you're worried we knew?"

"You cannot tell my dad," I pushed.

"Your uncle," Onas figured out, sighing when I tried not to flinch but failed. "You've been dodging the topic, and I've seen you carrying that box as well. And you're afraid when your father talks about going after him."

"You'll need Lageos's help to—" Iolas told me firmly.

"No, I don't," I snapped. "And he has some way to hurt my dad. He was completely sure he could do something to Dad when he came to Artemis. The times I've seen him since and—"

" Times you've seen him since?" Shael cut in, narrowing her eyes at me. "You saw him when you went to the news station and cut off his fingers. That should have been the only time."

I met her upset gaze with my own. "My parents sacrificed everything for us. My dad gave up his immortality to have me, and Faerie cost them the time they should have had together. I will not let some fuckhead ‘relative' risk that. I won't. I can't . He's sure he can do something real to my dad. He's scared of me but sure he can take out my dad."

"So it's not just he's nuts or overinflated, but he found something or got something from the demons maybe," Stefanie muttered. "Fine, okay, we'll discuss you not going with Lageos or that situation. But please answer Shael. How many times have you gone near this Mario?"

I opened my mouth to answer but then closed it and scrunched my eyebrows as I started counting the times.

"Great, it's enough that she's counting on her fingers," Onas drawled. "Remember this moment when you doubt you're the boss of us and we cage you."

That was fair, but I wasn't in the mood. "Look, he has tricks that shouldn't be possible, and my dad doesn't even know how he managed. I was doing my homework, and I might not take my safety as seriously as everyone wants, but I'm not stupid ."

"What did you learn?" Iolas asked, curiously studying me.

I smirked at him. "That he can't keep a barrier up when he sleeps, so it was just a matter of finding him asleep." I shrugged when they seemed shocked. "If you're looking for fair play or sparring rules when he's attacked me in the back several times—even metaphorically—you've come to the wrong woman."

"Good point," Shael snickered. "The results? He'd already be dead if you could have."

I huffed and reached for more food. "He's ridiculously good at sensing changes in the room. He defaults to using the fairy rune for speed. Honestly, I need to learn how to do that too. I'm a groggy fuck waking and a zombie sometimes." I chuckled darkly. "I used to jump out of bed ready to bolt if it was the cops. I've lost my edge."

"No, you finally have stopped having a fucking stress and trauma response to so much," Iolas yelled. He let out a growl and rubbed his neck too hard as he turned away. "You should be able to wake like that, Tamsin. That's not having an edge. That's something that broke my heart. You having to live in a way that had you have a blade under your pillow. All of it."

Fair enough.

"Knowing you, you recorded it so you could study it later or try to see what else you could learn," Onas muttered.

"Plus, I wanted Stefanie to be able to see when I got her revenge." I met her shocked gaze. "I haven't gotten it all yet. He will die, I promise."

She slowly blinked at me. "What have you done to him?"

An evil smile spread over my lips. "He's missing parts of him more than fucking fingers. A wing for a wing, but I got his whole fucking wing."

"Nicely done," Shael praised. "He won't be much of a threat now." She gave Stefanie an apologetic look.

"Plus, I took his other arm so he's off balance." I shrugged when their mouths dropped open. "I wasn't going to fuck around. I got his ear aiming for his head."

"Do you have a collection of your uncle's body parts?" Onas asked, his tone incredulous not accusatory.

I gave him the look he deserved. "No, I burned them. I'm not a psycho. I said I was aiming for his head . The fucker moves fast. I could get close enough, and the few times he was asleep, I didn't hesitate and tried to take his head. Last week, I got his wing."

"There's no chance he can challenge you now. He's just sitting and waiting for death," Iolas muttered. "Still, I want to see the video and learn what I can before we go in."

I blinked at the food on the table before slowly looking at him. "I'm sorry, what is this ‘we' shit?"

He smirked at me. "You promised you wouldn't go in alone. You won't be. I know some tricks as well and have fought against fairies using that rune for decades. There are ways to handle his fleeing like a rat."

Shael snorted. "How many can you teleport at once now? Five or six, right? We could cover any—"

"No, you're our most senior commander now and keeping order," Onas argued. "Morgan. Morgan will want to volunteer and is just as lethal as you are. He backs up the princess—which won't be needed—and Iolas and I will make sure the rat doesn't flee. That's the best plan."

"Taeral will be pissed you left him out," Stefanie chuckled. "I'm annoyed, but I know I could be a liability."

"You can come the minute after and bathe in the fucker's blood," Onas promised.

"This wasn't an invitation," I reminded them. "I was making it clear that I'm not as reckless as everyone accuses me. I know yesterday was—"

"They got their tails in knots because you admitted your magic stopped you," Shael interrupted. "You had something else—you weren't in as much danger as Neldor panicked. Lucca made it clear that you won't go to temples or pray alone. You will try better to hit the breaks if one of your mates says to stop and take a minute."

"They were all apologetic and upset they didn't handle it better," Iolas added. "Even your dad. We're all just fried, and—it's hard to see blood pouring out of your nose and ears. That is what made them lose their heads."

I nodded. That was fair. I would lose my shit and blow a gasket if the situation was reversed.

I wasn't even upset with them for being mad at me.

"We're volunteering, Tamsin," Onas said when I still hesitated. "We have the right just as you do when this is a threat against Faerie. You can put magic on us or—"

Shael snorted. "I'm not worried if he has a wing missing. I remember when the former queen had her stillborn baby. It was not even ten years before Meira. Vale blood or not, he's not an heir and we're way older." She gave me a serious look. "I'm not underestimating him. Let us help and fucking finish this so you can enjoy the time you have left with your father."

"Thank you."

I left to get the video and returned to find more food and Morgan there with his game face on. I sighed and simply got it all loaded. The huge smart TV had a USB port, so I just stuck the drive right in and started from the beginning.

It was during my tenth waffle and fourth video that I realized what I'd been doing wrong. I sighed as I sat back in my chair. I saw Shael and Morgan share a look, clearly knowing as well. "Yeah, yeah, I'll work on my assassin skills."

Stefanie snorted and Iolas chuckled, reaching over and rubbing my shoulder.

Two videos later, Onas rubbed his forehead. "I don't mean to criticize you here, Your Highness, but you should have gone for his legs so he couldn't escape."

I snickered. "Yeah, already figured that out."

"That's what she was referring to, dipshit," Stefanie drawled.

"Oh. Sorry. I was focused." He shrugged and loaded his plate as we moved on.

But he was right. I kept going for the neck to take Mario's head and be done with it. But he was too good at moving with that rune and rolling out of the path. It was how I'd gotten an arm first.

Then an ear.

And finally, a wing.

"Could you teleport him to us now that he doesn't have as much magic to block you?" Iolas wondered, and I blinked at my food before launching it across the room.

"I'm such a fucking—" I let out a wordless scream.

Iolas hugged me even as I fought against him. "This just happened, Tamsin. You've been—you never get a break or real rest. Please, we didn't think of it immediately either. You always say that's why we need to discuss things. Now we can end this."

"As soon as you're recharged and the healers clear you," Shael interjected. "Because we learn from our mistakes as well and won't be flippant."

I nodded, completely agreeing and appreciative of them being supportive.