Even better. Plus, there was healing the girl needed before we could even get to her shattered bones. She was going to be unconscious for days to handle everything that had happened to her.
One of the Guardians approached me on the side. “Your Highness, the stepfather ran. He didn’t even come in with the girl’s mother or coven leader. They’re not talking, and the police are involved—they’re saying they will not cooperate with themand are making things difficult. I thought you would want to be updated even if you’re busy.”
“Thank you. Bring me to them.” We were waiting on supplies and more anyways.
I could handle this real fast.
The supe police officers were amused when we arrived, so clearly there had been some posturing or bullshit going on.
“We’re already in their custody, so you don’t get to just insert yourself and overreach your authority as you—” that same asshole said before I could even talk.
“Hey asshole, I could slit your throat and be covered by diplomatic immunity, so how about you stop annoying me with your barking of stupid,” I said as I silenced him magically. “I gave the order for you to be brought intoourcustody and…” I shook my head. “Stupid bad guys are so much worse.”
“Preaching to the choir, Your Highness,” one of the cops chuckled.
“Answer me one thing—why is this asshole involved? She’s a witch so—he’s not like her grandfather or something, right?”
The officer nodded, understanding what I was getting at. “That’s for the bigger families or you’re used to high-class and rich ones given you came into our world through Artemis. Most normal, nobody families tend to group together. Every normal family can’t deal with all the crap of being a coven leader and going to council this and that like Alphas do.
“So like Alphas, they tend to put one in charge. It’s not as much of athingwhen it’s witches and warlocks, more like…” He glanced at his partner. “I think you would know it more as an HOA boss. Make sure no one’s leaving the garbage out too long or posting things that make humans suspicious of them. This guy is this group’s coven leader.”
“Got it, thank you for explaining,” I said, before looking at the Guardians. “He gets removedimmediately. Also, let’s addit to our overflowing lists that I want an interview with each of these coven leaders. Too many witches and warlocks were sold for their magic to be drained under the former council, and they clearly had help. I doubt we caught them all.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” they accepted.
And sounded a bit tired like I felt. Yeah, the list always grew and nothing was ever fully cleaned up. I felt it too, but such was life.
I asked to be taken to the mother and found someone so cliché white trash that I was shocked she didn’t have a rotted or missing tooth. She was bitching that she wanted a cigarette so… Yeah. Cliché.
She smirked when she saw me. “You’ll never catch him. He’ll drive and drive so you can’t teleport to him and stick your nose where it doesn’t belong.”
“Yes, please explain to me how teleporting works,” I chuckled darkly. “I can still teleport to him if he’s on the move.” I nodded when she didn’t seem to believe me. “I’ve done it many times. I do it all the time when people block me. Him driving doesn’t matter. At. All.”
“Fucking brats should have behaved and not pissed him off,” she bitched. “They ruined everything and—”
My hand flew before I even realized I’d decided to hit her. I backhanded her hard enough that blood exploded from her nose. “The fact you picked a man over your own fucking children who isn’t even their father is the problem here. Notthem, you fucking pathetic excuse for a mother.” I grabbed her face, ignoring her cries of pain. “Think of him.”
She did, not understanding what I wanted until it was too late.
“You have any other children?” I checked as I let go of her.
“Yes, Your Highness,” one of the Guardians answered me. “All four are being seen by the royal healers and have already confirmed scars and signs of abuse.”
“How I discipline my brats is none of your business,” the woman snapped.
“You don’t remotely believe that or he wouldn’t have fucking run,” I drawled. I turned to the cops. “We’ll get you everything you need to turn over to their council and for your report. We’ll be taking both into our custody as I’d ordered and wanted you just looped in.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” they accepted.
I thanked them and focused back on the Guardians. “Make sure the children get whatever they need and then they can stay at one of the orphanages for grandchildren of fairies. We’ll make the exception for them. We need to expand anyways.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” they accepted again.
Good. That was the only answer they should give.
I smirked at them. “I’ll go grab the stepdad real quick.”
“Shit,” someone behind me hissed.