Page 15 of Amateur Goddess (Morrigan University #3)

I made the last turn and saw the building that was the address and realized it took me to the front and this would probably go down behind the building. I could have cut across the backway from the last street to save time.

Fuck.

I slid to a stop when I reached the end of the building and stared at the empty parking lot next to it. The place wasn’t—it wasn’t anything anymore. It looked like the whole block was unoccupied office buildings that were probably going to be demolished one day.

I used my magic to scan the area like I did when I wanted to check the land or search for familiars. Two magics were behind the building… And two were coming from where I’d just been like they were going around back from the other side.

I took off toward the back as I focused on the two magics there. I told my magic to give me what I needed, and I felt the click like I had when I’d figured out that Link was related to Councilman Oliveria.

One of those two magics was Kevin. He was related to Kelton. I knew Kelton’s magic well enough now to be able to sense that.

Okay, so I knew which way the problem was coming from then… And I did what with that?

I wished I knew that answer, but I was out of time as I arrived at the back and saw Kevin with a warlock who was probably his partner.

And another warlock coming around the other side with his gun out.

“Kevin, shield! ” I bellowed as I kept running and pulling my magic towards my hand. The man with his gun out turned towards me and his friend was visible by then too. I sent the most powerful energy blast that I could at them, gathering magic to send another one just in case.

But they both went crashing into the building and were knocked out instantly, their guns dropped and wherever.

I skidded to a halt and turned to face Kevin to check on him.

Only to realize I was a fucking moron and made a huge mistake.

Namely, assuming the real threat wasn’t standing next to Kevin.

His partner had his gun drawn and at Kevin’s head.

Fuck.

“Well, my day is looking up,” the warlock chuckled.

“You do this, you’re dead,” I told him firmly. “My father—”

“Your father is going to give me everything for bringing you to him,” he said, his tone gloating.

“He’ll give you a bullet and a group grave with all the other fools he’s bought,” I replied with a dark chuckle, nodding when he frowned. “Charles Shaw does not leave witnesses . That’s how he doesn’t get caught, fool. He has you do this tricky part and then you’ll go meet him to get your reward and he’ll easily kill you.”

“You don’t know—” he tried to argue.

“Actually, there’s no grave,” I corrected. “Father’s too smart for that. He’s got magic to burn up your body to ash. Yeah, that’s more his scheme. Nowhere with cameras. Come pick up cash and he’ll burn you. Your everything else is abandoned. So what if it’s found when people know you killed your partner.” I snorted when he frowned. “You weren’t getting out of this.”

“Now I know you’re full of shit because I was,” he argued. “Swallow your magic or he gets a bullet.”

I snorted. “You’re killing him anyways.”

He hesitated. “No, I won’t. Your dad wants you more. You have my word.”

“The word of a bought cop is shit,” I sneered.

“Maybe, but I could disappear for what your dad would give me. I swear I won’t—”

“He’ll still kill me, Bevin,” Kevin cut in. “There will be a mess now and Charles will be pissed. I’m a witness you were abducted. I know three dirty cops now and—”

“Shut up,” his partner growled, lifting the gun to hit him.

And that was when Link acted, putting his gun against the warlock’s head. “You are stupid. You really think she ran in here and didn’t tell anyone? And yeah, everyone here knows you’re getting a bullet in payment, so drop the gun and pick prison.”

“He’ll kill me in there,” the guy snapped.

Yeah, my father would. He could absolutely make that happen.

Kevin moved before the guy was ready with Link pointing a gun at his head. He took his partner’s weapon and pointed it at him as well. “Yeah, we don’t feel bad for hitmen who swore an oath to protect people, fucker. I knew you were shit and probably on the take, but I never thought to this level.”

“Only fools are righteous, Rose,” he sneered.

Link snorted as he restrained the guy. “And yet we won so sure, I’ll be your definition of a fool.” He looked at me then. “It’s over, Bev. You did good.”

I swallowed down the magic I’d called as I sank to my knees, appreciating it was really over and we were okay. He got blurry and I realized I was crying.

There was activity around me, and I think Kevin moved by me and checked on me, but then I was just sitting back on my feet again, ignoring that my legs were burning. Running like that and then immediately stopping moving wasn’t good.

Plus, I wasn’t sure what I was kneeling or sitting on.

All of it was a blur until one person came into view.

Someone I was seriously upset with and blamed for this. He was just as responsible as my father.

I jumped to my feet somehow and stumbled over to him while my legs remembered how to work. “You’re supposed to protect them!” The screech in my voice more than what I said probably alerted everyone around us to what was going on.

It definitely got the chief of police’s attention.

“You shouldn’t be in charge if you allow all this fucking corruption and can’t protect your own people!” I bellowed and went to shove him.

But Link caught me around the waist and held me to his chest. “This doesn’t help, Bev.”

“Maybe not, but I’m not wrong,” I argued as I struggled against him.

“You’re not,” the chief of police agreed as his hard gaze met mine. “But as you also know, nothing is simple, and there’s more than any of us understand about each other’s lives.” He waited until I stopped struggling, accepting that. “I also know that while I’m failing, I’m the dam keeping things from getting worse .

“If I’m not in this position, do you know the options to take over for me, Ms. Millen?” He sighed when I shook my head. “All three are worst-case scenario to our society and I’m not being dramatic. I wanted to do better than I am. I took the job knowing it would probably cost me my life. So believe me, I know I’m failing and not worthy of it too.”

He walked away and headed over to where Kevin was sitting off to the side talking to other cops.

“That’s why I said—” Link started to explain.

“I get it,” I whispered, wiping my eyes and pulling away from him. “I’ll apologize later. Right now, I get to be pissed and feel this way.” I met his gaze. “I’m not wrong. He’s just not wrong either.”

I walked away and unfortunately saw something that made me collapse to the ground.

Namely, one of the dirty cops I’d blasted into the building was being put into a body bag.

“Bev, come on, stay with me, Bev,” Link shouted, shaking me.

“I killed him,” I choked out. “I killed someone?”

“It was on accident,” he muttered, moving me so I couldn’t see.

“I thought she knew and that was her shock,” Kevin said as he joined us.

“I killed someone?” I screamed. I felt familiar magic and instantly curled into it, knowing Tracey’s perfume. I hugged her with all I had as I sobbed and shook.

“You took a life to save a life,” she whispered when I started to calm down. “It was an accident protecting someone when they came to kill. I know it hurts, but Hecate would be proud, my sweet Bev. Henry would be proud. You did the best you could, and I’m proud of you.”

I nodded even as I kept crying.

“We have to get you out of here, okay?” she said.

“I got her,” a deep voice that I recognized said. “Bevin, can I pick you up and get you out of here?”

I lifted my head and saw it was Wyatt. “Please.”

He nodded and squatted down. “I got you.”

Everything was a blur again until we arrived back at school, and Headmaster Kerwynn was in the security office where we arrived… And he was pissed. The look he gave Wyatt made me shiver.

“You better have a really good explanation why you circled out of class,” he said evenly as he took in the picture we were. “Get a healer here for Ms. Millen.”

“Healer?” I whispered, my voice sounding distant. “I’m not hurt. I killed someone.”

“You are hurt and don’t talk,” Wyatt said quietly. “You knelt and sat on broken glass.”

“That was the burning not just the running,” I mumbled. “Sorry. Tell Kevin I’m sorry.”

“Bev, people are listening,” he worried. “I’m going to knock you out. I won’t leave your side, and we’ll get you healed up.”

The instant I nodded, everything went black.

I woke sometime later being held by strong arms. I pushed away because I thought it was Wyatt and I didn’t want to be confused anymore.

But when I opened my eyes, I was staring into dark blue ones and Wyatt’s were green.

“I’m so, so sorry,” I rasped when I realized it was Kelton.

“Don’t be sorry. You did nothing wrong,” he whispered as he pulled me against him and kissed my hair. “You saved my brother’s life, Bev. You’re a hero.”

“They were going to kill him and frame him as dirty because of me,” I choked out, still accepting the comfort. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

After a bit, the guilt of letting him comfort me when his brother almost died because of me—because of what I’d done and we were together overwhelmed me. All of it did.

I got out of bed and went over to my floor pillow. I was so relieved that the first supplies were there for the blanket idea. Reaching for the closest bag, I opened the skein of “big blanket” yarn. It was trending to use to crochet blankets but without crochet needles and using just your hands so the loops were huge.

I wasn’t going to do that, and instead the idea was I made a border infused with my magic that could be sewn onto fleece at whatever size. I’d watched the videos, and it wasn’t hard to get started. It was known as “making the chain” or the first row for crocheting.

But it looked like a simple braid almost if you just kept going.

So I did. I thought of the comfort I wanted and infused that into the material. That was what I wanted the familiars to feel if they snuggled with the blanket. They needed that if they were separated from their witch or warlock. Taylor and his people came to mind.

Someone touched me, but I flinched away and mumbled to leave me alone. I felt others around, but I just kept working. When I finished one skein, I tied it off and moved on to another one. Whoever was going to make the blankets could cut it up and handle how it would look pretty or whatever. Or tie the skeins together since I didn’t knot it tightly.

I worked for a while until I realized someone odd was in my dorm room. I lowered my work but kept my gaze on it. “Am I under arrest?”

“Why would you think that, Bevin?” Councilman Oliveria asked gently, worry in his voice.

“I killed a warlock,” I whispered.

“You didn’t mean to, poppet,” he muttered as he knelt next to me. “You’re not in any trouble and no one is mad at you. You did everything right and the best you could in something terrifying and in the time constraint.”

I nodded. “I’m sorry I cut the line at the transportation circle desk and scared them.”

“They know. You can thank them later. They kept your belongings safe too,” he informed me. “I think you should stop working now and try to eat. Marilyn and I were worried about you.”

“I wanted to make a blanket for Cheese,” I told him.

“Cheese? Oh, Taylor’s familiar.”

I nodded again. “He needs comfort after being separated from Taylor. I realized that was what I needed and the familiars—a comfort blanket. For when familiars have to be separated from their witch or warlock.”

“I think that’s amazing and will help a lot of people. But you can’t help them if you don’t take care of yourself. How about you come to our house and have some of that soup you liked? Can your stomach handle that?”

“I want that Mountain Dew again too, please.”

“Absolutely,” he agreed. “Link will share his stash he doesn’t think I know he still has at my house.”

“Sorry I worried you,” I mumbled as I set everything down.

“I’m sorry you keep having so much to struggle through.”

I blinked back tears as I met his eyes. “I hate that—how could I be born of someone so cruel? How could he be born from Grandpa? ”

“It’s not the blood that makes someone cruel, but what’s inside of them and their soul, Bevin. Your grandmother got her hooks into Charles young. Luckily, Henry was able to save you.” He helped me up. “And he’d be very proud of you. For today and everything you’re doing. I know it. He wanted to fight hard but didn’t have the way to do it. You do and you are.”

“I’m not. I’m weak and break down for everything. Everyone has to clean up all my messes,” I argued, the tears starting again. “I ditched the treat truck. I’m—I feel bad for Tracey and everyone around me constantly.”

“They don’t. So please don’t let yourself feel guilt for something they don’t even feel,” he told me firmly.

I didn’t think there was a button to stop my feelings though. I wished there was.

“I need to bring the material,” I told him before we left. “All of it. It’s important.”

“Okay, whatever you need, poppet,” he agreed, muttering to someone else. He guided me to the spell circle he set. The council members were one of the few exceptions about being able to use transportation circles on campus—any campus even.

I barely noticed that I was at his house, but then the soup smelled good, and I gobbled it up with some delicious bread and the cold pop which was exactly what I needed.

“What else can we get you, Bevin?” Marilyn asked.

“Is Tracey mad at me?” I whispered.

“No, not at all,” she promised. “And everything is fine. Nina covered for Rita. Winter is there with his friends helping—it’s all fine. You can help tomorrow and get the stock—it’s fine.”

I frowned and looked at her. “What’s wrong with the stock?”

She winced. “Apparently, a lot of people were brushing it off as a silly fad and gimmick because it was coming from a college freshman, even one from Morrigan and from a powerful family. After all of the buzz now—the orders and lines have been ridiculous it seems. There are hundreds of millions of witches and warlocks around the world, so that’s a lot of them college-age.”

I nodded. That was fair. Especially when our numbers were always growing. The council even estimated that in the next decade or so the world’s population would be ten percent magics.

Maybe.

Who really knew?

I had more soup and bread, another pop, and then Mrs. Oliveria put out cupcakes from a bakery that looked too good not to enjoy. Yeah, they were delicious and definitely worth the calories.

We moved to the living room, but I winced when Kelton was there. He simply smiled and nodded for me to sit… And picked up a guitar.

Huh?

I was too curious and then floored when he started playing it. I recognized the song but couldn’t place it until he started singing.

And like really sang. Not just how we could all sing—capable of it.

No, he was fucking good at it.

“I love this song, always have,” Mrs. Oliveria whispered. “So romantic.”

I nodded. I listened to the words of Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” and agreed.

I realized it was more than his amazing voice and being talented musically to play the guitar… It was his magical talent. Just like mine was familiars and animals, Kelton had his magic rooted in art and music.

“That’s why you’re so grounded and easygoing,” I whispered when he was done. “You let out your emotions and share your magic when you sing and play.”

His eyes flashed shock before he nodded. “Yeah, ever since Dad died. He was the one who taught me the guitar. He played.” He smiled at me. “He said he used to play this song for me and Mom when she was pregnant with me because it was her favorite. I thought you could use that right now.”

“Your voice is amazing,” I praised.

He blushed slightly and looked even sexier than normal. He set down the guitar and moved over by me. He knelt down in front of me and cupped my face. “We’re going to be okay, Bev. You’re not in trouble and—we’re okay.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” he said firmly. “What can I do to help?”

I didn’t get a chance to answer. Rita showed up and hugged me, thanking me for saving Kevin. I heard gasps when I shoved her away, but she wasn’t deterred.

“You did not do this, Bevin,” she said firmly. She grabbed my shoulders and shook me. “This is not on you! You are a child. You are his child , and he was supposed to love you and want what’s best for you. This is his fault! He is a monster. Killing your boyfriend’s brother because you disobeyed your father is not— you are the victim here, Bevin! ”

I think that was what I needed to finally hear.

And maybe from her.

A wail came out of me from the very depths of my being. My life was so messed up that my own father had really done that. He’d really tried to punish me by killing someone because I wanted to live my own life. I’d known he was capable of such evil.

I’d seen it. I knew I was just property to him.

He’d given someone a potion to rape me so he could get what he wanted.

But this was a whole other level of evil and murdering someone because I defended myself when he was coming at me. For betraying him and outing the truth of his evil.

Coward.

“What was that?” Rita whispered.

“He’s a fucking coward,” I rasped, my voice hollow. “He cheats and never comes at people head-on. He uses violence and threats. He backstabs everyone and murders to get everything he has. He’s a coward. Just like Alex. That’s the reality he doesn’t want people to see.”

“You’re right, and there’s normally only one way to handle people like that, but unfortunately he’s a coward with a lot of power,” a deep voice said. “But he’s unraveling. You are making him unravel. To take him down you need to finish the job. Can you handle that?”

I glanced up and met Taylor’s gaze. “I don’t know. I don’t know if I can survive someone being killed because of what I started.”

He nodded. “Let us worry about that. That’s for the adults. You tell us about our enemy and what buttons to push so he unravels faster and we end this, okay?”

I took in a slow breath and let it out. “Okay, I’ll try.”

“That’s all we can all do.” He pulled up his pant leg and squatted down. “We’re all here because we believe in you and that you can do this. You and Tracey are right that you’re the captain of you and your ship, but we’re the generals of this war. Trust that we’ll have this.”

“We almost didn’t have Kevin,” I whispered.

“No, but that was drastic and we weren’t there yet for what was going on. It’s a sign he’s unraveling faster than we thought. Now we know and will prepare. We have more troops on our side. What is the button to push next?”

I swallowed loudly. “I need to go on the record that he’s a coward and pathetic. He’ll lose his mind. That Alex learned well from him like that.”

He nodded. “Okay, take a few days and think about that. We’ll come up with a way to make it play out like Dad did. I’ll talk to Tracey as well because she did a lot to take the heat off of you.”

“Thanks, Taylor.”

“Don’t thank me for putting you at more risk, kid. I’m going to hell for all of this, but I need to protect my family.”

I actually liked him better that he was honest about his priorities and the Reids were his focus. More people should be honest instead of playing games and then letting others down later.