Page 71 of Finding Closure

“Beat him up,” I agreed, my mood lifting.

Taeral sighed and came over to me and kissed my hair, fussing over me and checking if I needed anything else. I was very mature about it and stuck my tongue out at Neldor.

He burst out laughing, clearly not having hard feelings about it.

“There is some pushback about graduation,” Cara told me, looking over a list of issues probably.

“Too fucking bad,” I snickered. “There were at leastthreepeople we’ve found that were either excited to be sitting next tome in such a confined way or worried because their parents now knew about it. It’s a fucking security threat, and I don’t want tokill peopleon my graduation. Name them if we have to—I don’t care. Sit me at the end so my security can protect me.”

“Is Vale not far enough down the alphabet that it really offends someone?” Katrina drawled, clearly on the same page as me on this.

“I understand there are other princes and princesses who have come through Artemis, but I am the leadernow, and sitting me in the auditorium trapped by people is stupid. I’m not a sitting duck like they all stupidly assume, but I’m trying to subvert issues later. Let us.”

She nodded. “I wanted to confirm that you wanted to share there were viable threats and that was the reason. I don’t think we need to name them, but—people like to judge. You’re known for being ‘paranoid’ even if you’re correct always. So that’s not being paranoid.”

I nodded and wanted to move along. We handled other things… Including that apparently it was expected for me to give gifts to others in my graduating class.

“Since when? Hudson didn’t to his classmates,” I growled.

“He did to the dragons,” she corrected. “That’s the tradition, but since you’re the only fairy…” She shrugged.

“Now they’re all included because people are greedy and selfish?” I rolled my eyes when people snorted. “And of course it can’t be something simple like a bear dressed in a cap and gown, right?”

They all looked at me like I was speaking Greek, so once I explained to them what I meant, they all confirmed that it couldn’t be that.

“Why didn’t I have to do this?” Neldor muttered, snorting when we shared a glance. “Right, you matter more, and everyone loves to fuck with you.”

“Please, take that from me anytime you want,” I drawled. I glanced at Katriana. “Tell me you have a fabulous idea. Please? Be my hero.”

Her lips twitched and she poured herself some juice. “I could never disappoint you, my friend. If it were me with the resources you have, I would have some of Mallory’s cards printed to be thank-you cards. Give them each to your classmates like you’re helping them have something nice to send out as thanks for their gifts.”

I snorted. “Knowing full well that most of them aren’t that classy or kind.”

“Yes, that’s half the fun,” she purred. “Especially since you’re givingthema gift and they should all thank your kindness instead of fucking expect it from you like leeches.”

“I really adore you.”

“I do appreciate your evil streak even when it can give me a migraine later,” Taeral said with a chuckle as he eyed over Katrina in a way that I couldn’t focus on.

Oh boy. Glad he was getting some.

I met Neldor’s gaze and saw he was in about the same headspace and we didn’t like it.

“What about some diamonds?” Katrina suggested. “People know we’re close. It would be nothing for me to connect you to my cousins. A few little ones like you’re telling them to be better than they’ve acted and they can shine bright. Plus, some talisman you learned to make and it’s easy for you. Something with your magic. That’s a perfect gift bag.”

“She’s right,” Neldor agreed. “I would suggest an anxiety charm or something basically telling them to chill the fuck out already.”

“Perfect. Now we just have to get it all together for hundreds of people in two fucking days.”

And people wondered why I was seriously always fucking stressed?

“I can have pretty gift bags and more gem bags here in an hour,” Katrina said gently. “Or wherever these are being put together. Jordan can go talk to Juan and get the cards printed and we put them in the bags. Done and done.”

“Of course,” Jordan accepted, standing and pulling out her phone as she stepped out of the room.

“Eat up, darling. Even I can feel how wiped you are,” Katrina worried.

She was right though, and I focused on my food. The rest of everything was little stuff and not a big deal, more checking how to handle things. The gift bags and gem bags were already purchased by the time I finished breakfast, and Juan said the cards were printing.

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