Page 1 of Amateur Goddess (Morrigan University #3)

“The top-tier families have been making progress on their idea that one of them take over as head of the High Council,” I said to start. “There are three main contenders, and few argue who are on that list. However, there’s some back and forth on who makes the top five or top ten lists. Would you agree?”

“I would,” Jason Berns hedged. “I’m not sure why you’re bringing that up after being disowned.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “Because we both know who is at the top of the list.” I leaned over and slid a USB drive across the table to him. “Just because my father lost his mind and is a danger to all of the top-tier families doesn’t mean I hate my cousins or extended family. I certainly don’t want them to pay the price for him destroying the family.”

“That’s not what I’ve heard,” he muttered, glancing at the USB drive but not taking the bait.

“Yes, and the rumors are always so accurate,” I chuckled darkly. “Your name is regularly mentioned as being on the top five list.” I ignored when he snorted.

It was a fib and we both knew it. He was in the top ten but not the top five. He was too young for that and not powerful enough—magically or financially.

“That will improve your chances to jump up the list,” I told him as I picked up my drink and sat back in my seat. “My grandmother sacrificed her youngest child to give my father the power he has. The Shaw family cheats. They wanted to do the same to me for Alex, but I was able to hide my magic. That’s what this whole mess is about.”

“I’d heard rumblings, but it all seems a bit far-fetched and fanciful,” he admitted, glancing from me to the USB drive.

I snorted. “That Charles Shaw would kill a sibling or child for power? You’re joking, right?”

His lips twitched. “No, that it’s possible and not been caught yet.”

I gave a half shrug. “The council hasn’t been around that long, and a few ‘accidental’ deaths among everything else they’ve handled isn’t something to grab their notice. Plus, knowing and having the power to do something about it are very different things.”

“Very true and surprising that you understand it,” he muttered, giving me an assessing look.

I wanted to make a comment about the burden of his sexism, but I let it go. “The proof is there but not how it’s done because I don’t want to give anyone ideas, and we both know that other top-tier families wouldn’t have any problem doing the same. My grandmother took out two of her brothers to become head of the family after all.”

“Meaning you gave it to more than just me,” he said with a frown. “How disappointing. I really thought better of you, Ms. Shaw.”

I gave him a dry look. “And I thought you wouldn’t be so petty to call me that to try and get a rise out of me. I’m not an idiot and hedge my bets. My father is out of control and threatened the lives of the head of the council and his mate.” I nodded when his eyes flashed shock. “The council won’t sit by on that. Also, the owner of Familiar Treasures and others.”

“I heard the dean of Morrigan only because he won’t let your family onto campus to collect you like property,” he muttered, lost in his own head so he didn’t notice my shocked reaction.

Because I hadn’t known that. Wow, the headmaster was seriously badass. “As I said, he’s lost it.” I took a last sip of my drink and set it back down. “I hope you use that information well and—”

“Now that you’re working with Familiar Treasures, you have to know who this owner is,” he cut in.

I raised an eyebrow. “This wasn’t a meeting to trade knowledge and pick my brain for what you can. It was to give you a generous gift. One that benefits us both if you use it wisely. I hope you do. Good day.” I stood and shivers went down my spine when he chuckled.

“No, I don’t think that’s the end of this, Ms. Shaw.”

I sighed and flicked my long hair over my shoulder, a movement he was way too interested in, and that was gross at his age. “I understand too many of you sexist top-tier families don’t understand the idea of consent, but it’s rather simple. It means you don’t actually control me, and if I want to leave, I leave.”

“Not when you’re stupid and poke your head out for me to have such an opportunity,” he purred, lifting his arm and gesturing with two of his fingers. “So thank you for the gift, but I plan to give one of my own that will be heavily rewarded.”

I gave him the dryest look I could, keeping my voice deadpan. “Oh no. I am so scared. I never saw this coming. You got me. I am so surprised. How could I not have thought of this? This is frightening. How could you betray me? I would never have expected you to backstab me. Oh no. Whatever will I do?”

Just in case he didn’t fully appreciate my sarcasm dripping all over the place, I rolled my eyes… Before pointing to my right.

Where Marilyn Oliveria, Laura Reid, Janet Cook, and Sandra Moon all sat enjoying tea and treats. They wiggled their fingers at Jason and his men who had started coming into the coffee shop like cockroaches to do something bad.

He swore under his breath and shot me a pissed-off look.

“Really? You’re seriously mad at me that I was smart enough to distrust you when you did try to stab me in the back?” I drawled. I pointed at the USB drive. “That’s real and everything you need to seriously take on my father and bring chaos. I was honorable and didn’t waste your time. I—whatever, your plan didn’t work.”

“But it will be remembered ,” Laura Reid purred, something dark in her eyes as she gestured to the humans behind the counter who looked concerned at what was going on.

And it was very, very against the rules to start problems in front of humans because it was a risk to our world.

“I’m fine,” Jason quickly said to his men. “I thought I saw something. You can head back outside.” He shot me one last look before heading to the counter and smoothing it over and explaining that it was just his security and there had been some problems with his family, so they were jumpy.

And then left.

The four women and I let out a collective sigh when he did and we sensed them gone. I went to join them and felt better when Mrs. Oliveria rubbed my shoulder.

“You did well, darling,” she comforted.

“How sad is it that all of them pulled the same crap?” I whispered, rubbing my forehead.

“You were ready for it, and that’s what is important,” Mrs. Reid said firmly. “And now we have something in our back pocket to help with all of this.” She reached over and patted my hand. “You brought us in to help so let us. It’s time for you to be a student and get to class. Trust us.”

“Thanks.” And I meant it. I was terrified to set up these meetings, but knowing I had powerful friends at my back made all the difference.

She winked at me. “I care about protecting people just as much as my husband, but I would have done it just for the treats you gave my familiar.”

Mrs. Moon snorted. “The session we had to help me work on my bond with my familiar—I didn’t realize how lazy I’d become. You’re amazing, Bevin. I want to be you when I grow up.”

I smiled when they chuckled and soaked up their strength. I headed out and felt as tired as Link looked when I met his gaze. Just in case, we’d had a dozen council guards cloaked and ready to storm the place if the councilmen’s wives weren’t enough.

“Ten for ten, huh?” he asked, nodding when I did. “I’m shocked but not surprised, you know?”

“Exactly,” I agreed, thanking him when he set the circle to take us back to school.

He grabbed my arm to stop me when I turned to head to class but let go so I didn’t feel trapped. He was the first to pick up on how important that was for me and how much it set me off at times. “You’re doing great, Bevin. I know this is all weighing on you, but this is shit I couldn’t handle on my own either. It’s heavy. You made the right call getting help and the adults involved.”

“Thanks, Link. Really.”

I thought about what he said on the way to Wyatt’s class. It had been a week and a half since my prank the first day of the Wicked Challenges… And my father had threatened Tracey’s life. I had been a mess as to what to do next and how to handle it. After we’d gotten over the shock and fear, we’d agreed it was time to not handle everything on our own.

She’d gone to the councilmen’s wives to get them on our side even if holding back most of the information.

And I thought it was a good move, so I’d done the same. Plus, a bit of the “enemy of my enemy was my friend.” Well, none of the top-tier families would be my friends ever, especially when I was setting them up, but it was time to make my father busy so he didn’t have all this free time to come after me.

If some of the top-tier families did damage to each other and ate themselves trying to climb in power, all the better. That was the kicker in all of this. They were so blinded in their sexism that I was just a stupid witch or their greed to have me under their control was so great that they completely missed that I was setting them up to fail.

I was setting them up to take on my father and probably be destroyed in the process. None of them could take him down, but they could hurt him.

Sort of like a kamikaze bomber. Some of them would do it because they were always desperate for more power and greedy—full of themselves that they could handle more than they could.

But make no mistake, it would be to their detriment. Charles Shaw did not forgive people and took out threats against him.

Which was why I tried to go to my grandmother first. I left a message for her at her favorite hair salon with the proof I had and warning that I would use it if she didn’t get Father under control. Also, that he’d threatened the head of Familiar Treasures and the council. She had to know how crazy that was.

She ignored it. The woman I’d paid to give it to her made it clear that my grandmother had said loudly that there was nothing she wanted from me unless it was an apology for my betrayal and lies.

Fine, it was her issue then. I’d tried.

Now that I’d given out the last proof, a courier was set to deliver the same thing to her today with a note that I tried to go to her first, and since she ignored my being reasonable, the rest was on her head. She wouldn’t see it that way, but hopefully she’d be a bit busy with the fallout of what came next.

I felt magic ramping up and instantly blocked it. I sighed as a senior swore under their breath and their prank was thwarted. Ever since I’d come out so strong for the Wicked Challenges, everyone and their damn brother was trying to get me instead of just focusing on their own points. They wanted the title of being the star of the semester.

Yes, because being magical social media famous was the point of this after all.

Idiots.

But I was glad that Wyatt had been working so hard to help me get caught up along with Sergey. I was exhausted, but at least I felt like I could protect myself from the basics, and I was almost caught up in Spell Circles 0. At least enough that I didn’t bomb my first exam and the lectures made more sense.

Granted, I wasn’t a fan of a C, but it wouldn’t get me in trouble.

Plus, now that more about my position was out, Wyatt had talked with Dr. Haskins and explained the situation in more detail. Also, saying that the headmaster was looped in. Dr. Haskins was holding judgment until I showed improvement and caught up, but he seemed open to the idea of extra credit later. Possibly.

I’d take possibly.

Wyatt gave me a look when I entered class and sighed when I nodded. He didn’t have any faith in the top-tier families either, but it was seriously ridiculous that all of the ones I’d brought the information to had pulled the same crap, completely certain they’d get away with it.

And disgusting because they normally did.

Professor Daly pulled me aside after class and said she wanted to push me to Latin IV. It was clear that I was better suited for that class instead of Latin III and she didn’t want me to waste my time.

I appreciated that and her being so perceptive to figure that out, but I turned it down because I needed a bit of easy. I was struggling a bit to adjust and with too much attention, so right then a refresher was nice instead of jumping into something else challenging.

She accepted my decision and offered to waive class participation for me if I wanted to make the points another way since it was just a refresher. She gave me a look that she knew I could probably place out of Latin IV too, but people wouldn’t like that as a freshman, so that was as far as I could go for now.

“I would greatly appreciate that, Professor,” I admitted. “What did you have in mind?”

“To abuse this situation and do something unethical, but I’m desperate,” she admitted sadly. “My daughter’s familiar was hurt last year. It recovered physically, but not—it’s scared to go outside and harvest or even play like before. We’ve been on the waiting list at Familiar Treasures but—you know how the list is. I tried to approach Ms. Anderson, but with so many others—”

“I know,” I said gently. “So you want treats? Or toys?”

“I have no idea,” she sighed. “I want hope that my daughter won’t fall further into depression because she didn’t protect her familiar when it wasn’t her fault.”

“I’ll talk to Tracey and see what she thinks, but it might be more than just the treats or toys.”

“It’s worth a shot. Nothing we’re doing has helped, and I understand why the treats are being set up as they are—I just didn’t know what else to do.”

“Did you bring your daughter and her familiar to talk with Professor Wyatt?” I asked. I felt bad when she winced.

“I’m such a fool,” she whispered. “It never occurred to me.”

“I’ll see if I can sneak you a treat as long as it’s all kept confidential, but I would start there.”

“Yes, thank you, really, thank you, Ms. Millen.”

I got some information from her and left. I sent it to Wyatt and that we could talk more about it later. Also, to Tracey what was going on but also that Professor Daly hadn’t been mean or threatened me—definitely hadn’t held it over my head. She was just desperate and scared.

We knew that feeling well.

“The interview is everywhere,” Winter told me as I came out of the building. He had a free period then and normally waited for me after class to walk with me to lunch.

I had to think a moment about what he was talking about but then hurried to grab his phone that he had outstretched to me. I watched Tracey’s interview, and she was as engaging and captivating as always. She was the star of someone else’s show and they both knew it.

The fact it had taken a lot to get that interview to happen was a joke and still made me furious. The hidden magical community had four networks, and of course they were all owned by… Top-tier families.

Of course they were.

So none wanted to run the story or have her on without getting something for them like the name of the owner of Familiar Treasures. Funny because they’d taken our money for running commercials for years and years, but apparently that didn’t mean anything when they thought they smelled blood in the water.

Tracey played just as vicious as well.

She told them that not only would she pull our advertising, but the station owners, their family, and anyone who worked for the station or was affiliated with them would be banned from Familiar Treasures and our expansions in the future… Which was a powerful threat. Especially now that everyone in our world knew about the expansion with my treats.

Oh, and the familiar housing at Morrigan that the High Council was supporting.

And we’d let it leak that we had already been planning to expand into brushes before the attack. So we had a lot and a lot more coming that people would want.

Then suddenly, the largest network was dying to do the interview and have the exclusive, pissing off Charles Shaw be damned. I wished that I’d known that my father had threatened the headmaster at Morrigan before, but then it turned out more people knew that because the interviewer brought it up to try and shock Tracey, but she easily handled it.

As always.

The fake outrage on the host’s face when he heard the clip of my father threatening Tracey and the owner of Familiar Treasures was a joke. He fully knew about it and had originally made it clear that he didn’t want to be involved in this interview. Now he “cared” because he didn’t have to risk being banned.

Seriously, our world was so disgustingly corrupt it was upsetting.

Tracey was firm when she declared that Familiar Treasures was going beyond the ban they already had against any member of the Shaw family. Now it was anyone who worked for them or was affiliated with them. She felt bad for the people who worked for them to be caught in the middle of this, but they could change who they worked for.

And should. If they were smart, they should because someone so unhinged would be unhinged with them as well. Especially when Charles Shaw had threatened the head of the High Council and his mate. She had the proof of that as well, and apparently there had already been a hearing to fine my dad for the threat… One he didn’t even bother showing up to.

He really, really was unraveling. Wow.

“I don’t know if this was the right move,” I worried as I handed his phone back.

“I don’t know that there are right moves when it’s this level of crazy and complicated, little sexy,” Winter said quietly after a moment. “I think it was probably the best play you had. Could something maybe have been better executed or the timing better? Yes, but I definitely don’t think it was the wrong move.”

“Thanks. Really, Winter.”

He rubbed my back and shot me a sad smile. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”

I chuckled. He always was. At least something was constant in my life.