Page 57 of Vibing Unity

Or drop him down all the stairs they could find. I honestly didn’t care.

“How many times did you suffer that pain, Tamsin?” Morgan asked me quietly when everyone else was busy with their tasks.

I swallowed loudly. “More times than I can count. One foster dad got off on watching me limp because he would do it on the bottom of my foot where it wouldn’t be seen. It just looked like a messy blister like kids can get. It would be so much worse to walk on and never healed before he did it again. You know what killed me the most?”

“What?” he whispered.

I looked at him then, blinking back tears. “He didn’t even fucking smoke. That’s why my teachers didn’t believe me when I asked for help. He wasn’t a smoker and made a big deal if people smoked around him. A doctor who lectured about lung cancer and helped people. But he had such darkness in him from faking how good he was, and he took it out on his fake daughter.”

“I’m sorry,” he rasped.

“Me too.” I sniffled and let out a long breath before standing and turning to see the damage I’d done.

And locking gazes with Neldor.

Fuck.

“How much did you hear?” I asked.

“Enough to know that human is dead,” he seethed. “What is his name? Where is he?”

“Dead,” I answered honestly, nodding when he didn’t seem like he would believe me. I snorted when people around us went tense. “I didn’t do it. A crazy patient did in the ER. He was working on a trauma situation and the guy stabbed him. He died a hero and no one ever learned he was a monster, but at least I was freed. His wife couldn’t handle her real kids, his death, and me.”

“You sound upset with her too,” he hedged. “She knew?”

I thought about it for a few moments. “She knew he would take his foster daughter out to the garage alone and I would beg not to go. I would come back crying and she had to hear my screams. So I don’t think she knew specifically what he was doing, but she knew about my abuse. She allowed it, and when he died, she never even said a word to me.”

Neldor frowned. “What do you mean?”

“My caseworker picked me up from school with all my stuff and I was brought to a home. She told me what happened. He was killed and she likeimmediatelykicked me to the curb. Never even said goodbye to me or let me say goodbye to my ‘siblings.’”

“She tied up loose ends and any witness to her husband’s darkness,” Morgan muttered, his tone disgusted.

I nodded. There wasn’t really anything to say.

But the fuckingcraterI’d caused landing on the truck like a missile amused me. I thanked Morgan for fixing it and handling the truck. He said I could thank him by not doing it ever again and taking years off his life.

“Fuck, sorry, mate, but it was cathartic,” I said, shrugging when he sighed. It was better not to lie.

15

The next day, progress was made on healing the little girl and I wanted to check in on her siblings. The last thing I expected was a girl no more than fourteen exploding and threatening to kill people.

“You’re fierce,” I chuckled as I walked into the room, waving everyone else off. “Yeah, I remember the fear making me feel that way too, but you’re shaking inside.” I didn’t make her admit it, continuing on. “Do you know who I am?”

“The leader of the fairies that my mom, stepdad, and most of the coven talk shit about,” she answered, lowering the scalpel she had in her hand.

And I was impressed that she’d managed to get one. Like… From where?

“I am,” I confirmed for her. “I’m the one who ordered your mom, stepdad, and coven leader all be arrested for child abuse and whatever else they’ve been up to.”

She studied me closely. “My stepdad is cousins with the asshole coven leader.”

“You called that one right, Your Highness,” Ara chuckled. “Lass, put down the weapon please. It makes us all nervous for you to have one around our leader even if you can’t hurt her. I promise whatever you’re upset about, she’ll handle it.”

“Within reason,” I agreed, shrugging when Ara snorted. “I don’t know her. She could be throwing a fit because they won’t let her ride my unicorns in Faerie.”

She gave me a look to shove it. “You’d let them no matter who it pissed off after all they’ve been through.”

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