Compounding Traumas (Artemis University Book 6), стр. 45
I sat down and focused on my tray, dying to glance at Darby and apologize that she destroyed his flowers. Or maybe thank him for backing me up?
Or that he got dragged in front of his fucking council because of me?
Maybe all of it. I wasn’t sure, but it made me doubt my decision to speak with him. It might be better if I left him be.
Why was everything so fucking complicated and this world so godsdamn corrupt?
I wasn’t sure, and I certainly didn’t have the answers, but just to add to my crazy, I felt energy dancing along my skin and knew Hudson was close. It was intense so near and I looked up before I realized it, catching myself at the last minute so I didn’t meet his gaze at least.
Instead, I met Lucca’s, who seemed seconds from tossing me on the table and fucking me in front of everyone.
Yeah, that would help. Men.
12
The next morning, I was standing outside the auditorium where a new student meeting was about to be held, ready to start the trouble I’d warned people of. The first group showed up early, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed freshmen ready to learn and excited to start their college experience. They’d already had freshmen orientation over the summer, so this was something else and it involved the exchange program.
Either way, it worked for my purposes.
I gave them a gentle, non-scary smile as I handed over a flyer. “Hi, I just wanted to warn you ladies that there are a few convicted rapists on campus. Everything you need to know is on the flyer, along with the number to call if you have any questions.” One snatched it from my hand, and I grabbed what else I had from my bag. “Do you know how to use a rape alarm?”
“What? No?” one squeaked. “Should we?”
I nodded. “Yes, and not just because of this. All women should do what they can to protect themselves.” I showed them how the alarm was activated by pulling on the strap, causing an ear-splitting noise once the sensors inside touched when the battery tab was removed. I gave them each one for free, accepting their thanks. “Just tell your friends, okay? Make sure they know and are safe. We know the councils don’t value women like men, so we have to.”
“She’s right,” one muttered to the others as they walked away.
I managed to speak with at least fifty women before people started figuring out what I was really doing and taking notice. Several faculty seemed like they might say something to me, but thought better of it when I shot them a look or they remembered who would be upset if they pissed me off.
A few dozen more and my time ran out.
Chaddus Thane, the vampire councilman I had met during the joint meeting about Joshua Edelman, walked towards me with several people, including the students I had been giving the flyers out about. I finished who I was speaking to and dipped my head to him.
“Good morning, Councilman.”
His eyes flashed shock at my being polite, but it was gone just as fast. “Ms. Vale, you need to come with me.”
“I’m sorry; I won’t. You have no jurisdiction over me. As you and your council have been informed, any issues you have with me can be directed to my attorney, and they will relay your requests to my council who fully support my decision to stay undeclared.”
One of the lackeys with him got bold, sneering at me as he moved closer. “That might have worked before, but this time you’re committing crimes against vampires and will stand before our council to be judged.”
“And what crimes would those be?” I purred. “Slander?” I handed over a flyer to Councilman Thane. “Tell me what on this is untrue and slanderous. Did you not rule that they did in fact drug, rape, and brutalize a freshman vampire and then punish them for it? Did you not rule that she was in the wrong for smearing their reputations and making such an issue over all of this?”
“There are confidentiality rules,” one of the guys who had been involved and had confronted me with Blake bitched. “You’re going against them.”
“I’m not actually,” I drawled, rolling my eyes at him. “You’re a convicted sex offender. You’re on the national registry, as you should be.”
“What?” several people gasped or exclaimed.
I blinked at them, playing up my surprise how they could be shocked at that. “You all live too much in your bubbles that are like dangerous cults. It’s considered a public service to inform humans when a registered sex offender moves to the area. That’s exactly what I’m doing. A few have been allowed to come back to campus. It is standard for women to warn each other and the freshmen.
“It’s also standard for the schools to hand out rape alarms and warn people how to protect themselves instead of demeaning victims as your council did. I’m not breaking a single council law or school rule. This was a public council ruling that you made public to set the example against women speaking out on such matters. And you denied my request to testify against them, even as it was done as an attack on me.
“But now you want to pull me in to face charges on this matter for no crime committed?” I stared down the whole group. “You better have one of the gods on your side to drag me there by force, because you will need it. I’m here for the sole purpose to protect people—your people, all of the people, when you only protect the elite men.
“And you want to shut that down? Shut me up and slap me with fake charges that break your own laws? I have