Weakened Mountains (Artemis University Book 4)

by Erin R Flynn

  I let out a shaky breath and nodded. “I’ll do my best not to fail them.”

  “Oh, Tamsin, you could never fail any of us. It’s not who you are and as a fair folk, I’m proud you are the fairy fighting for all of us. I think the gods chose very wisely and as much as your pain hurts me, you were the one we needed. I know it.” She kissed my hand before bringing it to her face. “Now, you eat and rest. I will take your generous gifts to the others. See you soon.”

  “Thanks, Irma. I’m glad you had fun. I’m glad we got to share this together.”

  “Me too. Thank you for being my friend.”

  I pulled her into a hug. “Thank you for being mine. I wouldn’t survive any of this without all of you.”

  White and Craftsman went with her, discussing the crystals and what they’d learned. I thanked Professor White for her help and being willing to step up. She gave me a sad smile, not so much in resignation to taking the role, but it was needed.

  Craftsman I couldn’t even look at. “Later, Doc.” That was all I had in me to give him. It was sad that my feelings were fizzling for him faster than pop in a glass left on the counter overnight. I’d read a bit on how injured the souls of fairies could be, so much deeper than humans or other supes, but it sounded like pretty prose.

  Or someone’s serious justification for being unable to move on from heartbreak. But maybe not. Maybe there was something to it. If injustice wounded our souls and we were pulled to right wrongs… Wasn’t heartache an injustice to love? Sure, some loves or relationships weren’t meant to be, and people needed to go their separate ways, but the pain came from somewhere.

  Yeah, I certainly didn’t have the answers, but as I finished the rest of the food and bid Mel, Zack, and Ray goodnight, it was swirling around my mind. I remembered to grab a couple of bottles of water from the garage, one of my spoiled additions to my suite, a mini fridge in my reading nook.

  A weird side effect of magic? It dehydrated me. I got making me hungry, that was fuel and power and energy—whatever. But it was like using too much magic—either the crystals or like the reservoirs—and I might as well have been sitting in a dry sauna with all my hydration sucked out of me. It was crazy.

  And yet, not remotely the craziest thing I’d come across since that first freaky power clap.

  I walked into my room and set down the water on the table by the entrance, stretching as I turned to kick the door closed. Instead, strong hands moved under my sweater and it was gone before I blinked, the door slamming behind me, not even giving me time to yelp in shock.

  “You cannot even look at me and I cannot take it anymore,” Craftsman rasped as he kissed along my neck and touched my skin. I opened my mouth to say something but instead gasped as he pushed down my leggings, his fingers finding my pussy as he lifted me up. “I miss you, love.”

  “Don’t call me that,” I argued, pushing at his chest.

  “You are, you are,” he choked out as he set me on my feet next to my bed. “You are my sweet, sweet fairy and I need you. I need you. I miss you.” He unsnapped my bra with one hand, his other still teasing my clit and getting me bothered. “All those men wanting you and they can’t have you. I can’t be shunned anymore no matter how much I deserve it.”

  Wait—huh? I didn’t get a chance to ask as he dropped to his knees behind me and took my leggings with him. I’d taken off my shoes when I’d come into the house, so I was completely naked to him now. He gave me a gentle push so I went off balance and fell onto the bed.

  Again, I opened my mouth to say something but instead moaned as he buried his face in my pussy, sucking on my lips how I loved as he pushed his fingers inside of me. Damn him. I wasn’t a weak woman who caved just because of hot sex or getting attention now. I was more than an easy fuck.

  Right? He’d said that. He stayed with me over break and said this was more.

  “No, no more sad, hurt aura,” he begged me. “I’m so, so sorry, my sweet fairy.” He went back to eating me and as much as I was distracted and confused, he was just too good and even though I was exhausted—or maybe that was how he got around my normal defenses—I moaned as I came.

  He was only somewhat naked as he moved onto the bed with me and shifted both of us to the middle. I was gasping for air as I caught a glimpse of him over my shoulder, trying to figure out what was going on. All I could see in his eyes was grief.

  Was this goodbye? Was he saying he couldn’t give me himself with who I was and he grieved what we couldn’t have? I shook my head and looked away, not able to handle that.

  “Don’t say no,” he whispered, kissing my shoulder. “Give me you, Tamsin.”

  “I did. I gave you all of me and you forgot me,” I reminded him tiredly.

  “I didn’t. I just got distracted. I’m sorry. I need you. You need me too. I know you do.” When his dick pushed against me, I didn’t know if what he said was true, but I know I wanted him, arching to give him better access to me. That was all he needed as a green light, thrusting in me deeply.

  I fell down to the bed, too tired to hold myself up, and he moved over me. He kissed my ear and neck as he teased my breast. He chanted what he said as his hips moved faster and harder and suddenly we were just both there. I bit my lip to keep quiet, knowing how much he liked when I was vocal. Something inside of me said that was his punishment and he’d know it.

  Maybe it was a proper goodbye? Grief swarmed me and I curled into myself, pulling away from him. I felt him flinch and he pulled out of me.

  “This is not goodbye,” he whispered as he rolled me over, tears in his eyes as he stared down at me. “Love, this is only the beginning of us, I swear it to you.” He shook his head when I opened my mouth. “I love you, Tamsin. I’m so bloody in love with you, my sweet fairy, I cannot even think of saying goodbye to you. Not ever.” He moved my hand over his heart. “This is yours.

  “All of me is yours. I know I messed up and I’m sorry I was such a git. It’s the double-edged sword of being a savant. I get lost in my head. I lose the rest of the world and have only this tunnel vision on what I’m working on.” He leaned down and brushed his lips over mine. “But you’re the first to pull me out of it. The first to make me want more. The first to make me know I’m not broken.

  “I just needed you to find me and make me understand it wasn’t me being unable to love but I hadn’t found the right person to love.” He leaned his forehead down to mine as he hurried to finish undressing, ripping his shirt and tearing other seams in the process. “I know I brought up your issues of abandonment and how easily people have tossed you aside, but I promise this wasn’t what this was.”

  I turned away, hating how he exactly nailed what I tried to hide from everyone. But not Craftsman. He paid too close of attention.

  Just like he was right then.

  He turned my face back to him and kissed me. “I love you. I could never abandon you or toss you aside, my sweet fairy. You gave me the one thing no one ever has before. You thought I was worth pulling back from myself instead of throwing up your hands and giving up on me. Help me realize when I do it, punish me for being a git when I don’t mean to, and I’ll never leave you. I could never leave you.”

  I found myself nodding, overwhelmed with the insecurities I saw in his own eyes. The damn man was an idiot but dancing around a minefield to be with me. I could give him this as long as he understood it was an issue with me. And he seemed genuine. Craftsman wasn’t a liar… But just in case, I couldn’t stop myself from flipping on my telepathy as he kissed me.

  “Thank bloody fuck. I’m so completely sunk and I’ve been losing my mind without her. I didn’t want to push her after what happened with Mason but all those gits watching her, wanting her, hoping for a chance with her just—I can’t lose her and be one of the many she ignores. You’re listening, aren’t you?”

  I flinched, blinking up at him, and realized I was frowning, which probably gave me away. I gave a slow nod. “What guys? You said something before.”
>
  His eyes softened. “Oh, love, you are one of a kind.” He gave my nose a quick kiss. “Most of the people who were being treated as aides weren’t aides but single dragons from elite families that were hoping to meet you. You didn’t give any of them a second look besides tour guides or assistants and they were just dumbfounded, did whatever you asked because you’re you.”

  “Oh, I had no clue. There were so many people and it was just so much that…” I blew a raspberry and shrugged. I’d also brought my boyfriend, so it was sort of rude.

  “I love you. Do you believe me?” He smiled even if I didn’t answer, which surprised me. “Your aura tells me a lot. Let me show you how much I love my sweet fairy.”

  I wasn’t sure what he meant, but then he made love to me in a way we hadn’t before. There wasn’t anything rushed or kinky or even… It was just different. It was deeper and not physically. I couldn’t tell where I finished and he started, my soul wrapped around his as much as my body was.

  When we climaxed together he touched something deep in me that I knew would shatter me if he took it because it was now his.

  Was that what love was? Being in love at least? I gave him a piece of me that I could never get back even if we didn’t work out?

  That was more terrifying than waking up knowing I was abducted and what Mason had planned to do to me. Still, my eyes closed on their own before he pulled out of my body and I didn’t want him to. I wanted us to be connected, curled together in sleep.

  Well fuck, that was going to complicate things, as he wasn’t the only man I was with.

  And it was only the beginning of the damn quarter.

  It was definitely going to be an interesting semester if I survived it.

  The End

  THANK YOU for reading this book!!

  Thank you so much for coming on Tamsin’s journey with me. I woves all of you lots for your continued support and wanting more of my books. Please, please leave a review. It really helps me out to know which series people are looking for more from. And it’s encouraging to get back to series when people are excited for more. I appreciate the time it takes and hopefully you guys love Tamsin and this world as much as I loved writing the series!! There’s more to come and I hope you’re as excited about that as I am.

  All my best,

  Erin

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