Page 23 of Knowing Trust

Did it heal me from losing Luke and so many others dying to the Underground?

No. No, not even close… But it was the hope that things could maybe get better.

“What’s wrong?” Hudson asked sighing when I gave him a look asking if he was kidding. We were basically at an after-funeral luncheon. Most people weren’t happy there. “Something else is irking you or on your mind. That’s what I mean.”

I winced, apologizing for my sarcastic look then. “Oh, I was just thinking of the last thing Luke said to me. I’m salty with him that he left me hanging on what he meant, and then I’m shallow for thinking that because he didn’t leave my text on read, he died.” I shrugged, focused on my food.

“‘Them’ is those who have faith in you, Tams,” Neldor said gently. “That’s how I took it.” He waited until I looked at him. “He said don’t let them suffer, it all has to mean something. Not verbatim but something like that, right?” He smiled when I nodded. “‘Them’ is those of us who believe in you.

“He told you to be a good queen. Luke kept saying we don’t deserve you and not to lead us until we deserved you, treated you as we should. You told him everything had changed and Faerie was finally behaving better. He was saying to deserve that faith too. Yes, there was probably more though because he was your cheerleader and knew you would never fail us.”

I bobbed my head, thinking it fit, but wishing Luke had told me himself.

I wished a lot was different from what happened.

But there was still time to change a lot too.

And no, I wasn’t going to let people down who had faith in me… Starting with my own mate.

7

Monday morning I had a pass from my New Magical Development II class so I could handle something that happened during that time. Lageos asked if he could come watch the fun, but I told him it wouldn’t be that big of a deal and to not waste his time.

But I was not surprised when I felt him at the Witches and Warlocks Council meeting already.

Brat.

I walked in like I owned the place right after they came to order. I dipped my head to Anya. “I apologize for being rude to you, but I didn’t want to put you in the position of handling this potential headache.”

“You are always welcome and invited to any meeting, Your Highness,” she accepted, mirth dancing in her eyes because she knew me well enough to know that I was going to start trouble.

I thanked her and glanced around. “All of you are smart enough to know what ‘the carrot and the stick means.’ I’m here to tell you of both. The carrot is a new class that’s been developed for me next semester at my request. Advanced Healing I. The best of Faerie, plus several others in different species will be teaching me anything and everything about healing.

“I wanted this in preparation for my upcoming role and since I take being the shield of Faerie very seriously. However, I see crossover, and I am an advocate in people learning more in general—that learning should never stop.” I frowned when a few people snorted. “Just because I won’t share everything I know that you feel entitled to does not make that statement untrue.

“What you want is unreasonable. As unreasonable as me asking for your social security number and bank accounts as a random person in this community. And you ask it of the leader of a planet. Know your damn place.” I raised an eyebrow challenging them to say something about that.

They wisely didn’t.

Well, that was progress!

“As I was saying, the carrot is that I’m willing to include witches and warlocks who are willing to meet certain criteria and discuss that with the council.”

“And the stick?” Anya asked, her voice even, but I knew her well enough to know she was amused.

“I will file a challenge of competency against the council member and make it public knowledge that I did so,” I answered. I shrugged when people couldn’t hide their shock. “I was fair and let people in who didn’t like me. I didn’t like them either, but that’s not a job requirement for a council—even leadership directly under me.

“However, I made it clear that I wouldn’t sit quietly and leave corruption and problems alone. I won’t. So if you misbehave on this and try and throw your weight around because it involves someone I care about to stick it to me—you aren’t fit to be council members. And I will say that. Publicly and push for someone to take your place.”

“As you should after how this council repeatedly—constantly hurt you. Nip it all in the bud,” a councilwoman said firmly. “This is about the Craftsman charter, yes?” She nodded when I did. “I would sign off to agree with that challenge as well.”

“As would I,” said several others, shocking the normal problems.

“Especially after all the help Dr. Craftsman has given our people with working on these trials to cleanse,” the councilman who was an uber healer stated. “He could have done it with his mate and her magic and kept it quiet. We promised she would never be named and immediately people let it out to embarrass him and the princess. I wanted people out from that.”

Ohhh, I didn’t know that had been a discussion. Interesting.

I smirked at the three assholes. “It seems I’m not the only one who won’t put up with the past repeating itself.”

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