Page 20 of Amateur Goddess (Morrigan University #3)

The stage was set Wednesday at lunch. Two of Taylor’s people were glamoured to look younger and like students who were positioned close to where Kelton and I were sitting alone. I already had a lot of eyes on me because of everything going on and I was going to use that to my advantage.

Plus, Taylor’s people were recording us with their phones, so I had to get this right.

“Charles Shaw is a lazy coward,” I said firmly in response to Kelton asking me if I was worried. “He’s weak and pathetic. He only has the magic he has because he killed his sibling with his mommy’s help. He broke his familiar—the gift from the gods—to harvest magic for him constantly. He doesn’t work for anything. He cheats.

“He inherited everything earlier generations did and cheated to keep it. It’s pathetic—he is. And the best part? He’s a delusional narcissist who’s easy to handle.” I snorted and took a bite of my pasta. “He’s so sexist that he cannot see any woman accurately and it screws him. I’m proof of that. I easily set him up to get myself disowned and free of that family.

“I just had to wait until I was of age and at college. Yeah, it took me a whole two weeks to play him. He’s so awesome.” I rolled my eyes. “He murders people. That’s his big bad threat to keep people in line. He’s a mass murderer. He has people kill anyone who pisses him off and then he kills them in thanks. He’d be penniless if he actually paid everyone for his dirty deeds.”

“I never thought about it like that,” Kelton admitted. “I mean how much would a hit go for? How much would it have cost him to kill my brother and smear him?”

I shrugged. “I’ve heard him offer as little as a hundred thousand dollars but upwards of a quarter of a million.”

Kelton froze in taking his next bite. “You’ve heard him? Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“Yes, I’ve heard him,” I answered. “I was locked up in that house before I was released for college. I heard tons. He dismisses women as objects and thinks our ears apparently don’t work.” I snorted. “The only thing he thinks works on a woman is her uterus to birth warlocks. It’s disgusting.” I took a bite and sighed. “And who would I tell? The corrupt police?”

“Yeah, good point, plus it’s just hearsay, so it’s not like real evidence,” he muttered.

“Not without bodies. Even crime shows tell you that. And Charles Shaw brags that he can disintegrate someone before they can realize he’s using magic. He’s got that much juice because he cheated . That’s how he keeps power. Fear of instant disintegration.” I snorted. “I hope it was worth it because what’s waiting for him in punishment will be good.”

“You mean the council nails him?” Kelton asked.

“No, I mean the gods,” I admitted, waving my fork around. “It would be great if the council could take him down, but the top-tier families have been lying to everyone for so long it could start a war. The council actually cares about our people and won’t risk it. I just know the gods will have a great punishment lined up. Rebecca Shaw is already paying it.”

“You birth mom?”

I nodded, taking another bite. “There’s a price for being willing to sacrifice your own child, kill them. The gods won’t allow you to have any more. It’s in family journals I’ve read, some I have copies of. She blames me for her horrible intentions, and that was why she let Alex abuse me. She used to mock me that she’d mate me off to someone who would hit me.”

“Wait, so Alex knew you were supposed to be sacrificed for him and then abused you when you didn’t die for him?” Kelton asked, his tone furious.

He wasn’t acting. He was holding his fork so tightly I was surprised it wasn’t snapping in half… And it was metal.

I nodded again. “I have the proof. I have so many pictures of the bruises and abuse—I have hundreds. Anywhere that wasn’t my face that would be part of my selling price. Rebecca knew and used to say she’d make sure I was mated off to someone like Alex—someone who beat me. All because they thought I had no magic and couldn’t be sacrificed.”

“But you hid it.”

“Yeah, it was an accident when I was a kid not understanding it all, but when I realized what muted my magic and hid it from them, I did it all of the time so they didn’t murder me. That was on the table until I had to leave for college by our laws. It was why they kept me locked up. That, and it was a grotesque selling point that I was na?ve and would be docile.”

We both snorted then.

“But Charles would yell at Alex, and Alex would come beat me. He would yell at me that it was all my fault. We both knew what he was talking about even if I had to fake that I was clueless. They would have killed me if they thought I knew and could leave to tell people.” I snorted again. “Their answer for everything is murder. Cowards.”

Kelton tapped the table in front of me, making me realize I’d gotten lost in my head. “It’s going to be okay, Bev.”

I sighed. “I’m worried, but I’m also not, you know? I mean Charles is unraveling, and—it’s funny because he’s always disappointed in Alex and he’s just like him. They are friggin’ twins more than father and son. If Charles hadn’t been able to sacrifice his sibling for power, he would be Alex. I bet that’s why he hates him so much.”

“I heard Alex is lazy though,” Kelton hedged.

“So is Charles.” I snickered when he frowned. “He inherited everything, and he’s losing the Shaw estate money. More every year.” I nodded, his shock real since I hadn’t let this out of the bag yet. “He’s a moron. Grandfather invested my money well and I have since. All on our own. Charles has consultants and money managers.

“Does he listen to them? No, he’s a narcissist who thinks he knows more, calls them idiots the moment they leave the house, and doesn’t listen to them. Then he explodes on them when things don’t go the way he wanted—the way they told him it would and not to do that—and blames them. And he cheats and lies about how much the estate has.

“It’s nowhere near what he tells people. It’s why he brags he donates so much like he has for years to Morrigan. The headmaster posted the donations. The Shaws weren’t on there much and didn’t give barely anything. It’s all lies. People need to realize everything out of his mouth is lies. Alex too. That’s why they’re twins.

“They’re both narcissists. They’re both so ridiculously sexist it’s a mental impediment because they can’t accurately see women. They’re both lazy and cheat. They have anger issues and use violence as the answer for everything. Charles threw the same type of tantrum to the council and then threatened their lives.

“Seriously, the same person. Just as they can’t mate off Alex, Charles almost didn’t get mated. I heard the story from Rebecca a bunch of times. She didn’t want to mate him, but her father sold her to Charles. That’s why I never met those grandparents. She was sold. And apparently, her dad said if she didn’t go through with it, he’d kill her.

“ Charles apparently fell madly in love with her and was crazy obsessed saying if she didn’t mate him, he’d kill anyone she ever dated. Oh, and he’d kill the man who took her purity in front of her because it was his. But then her dad would remind Charles that he wouldn’t have a mate without him and rubbed it in his face all the time, so that’s why the ties were cut.

“It’s all so stupid Shakespeare would have rolled his eyes. But Rebecca just accepted it. She didn’t try to fight it or leave. She preens about being the mate of the most powerful and wealthiest warlock while he calls her a breeder. She hates her mother-in-law and constantly badmouths her. Her mother-in-law humiliates her every chance she gets.

“Like it’s beyond pathetic. It’s a cliché human reality housewife show. Rebecca shops. She spends gobs of money as if that makes her life worth living. I wasn’t allowed to leave the house or have friends and yet I had a full new wardrobe every season. All of us did. That was Rebecca’s job. She shopped. She flaunts their dwindling money that she’s clueless about.”

“That’s… Wow,” he whispered as he shook his head. “I can’t believe you were born of people like that. I mean—that’s so not you.”

I shrugged. “They ignored me because I was ‘useless’ to them until I could be mated off. Grandfather basically raised me. I’m like him and a Millen. The Shaws led the Millens to their ruin, everyone in our world knows that, but before they got into trouble and let the demons sway them, they were good people and pillars of our community.”

“And you intend to put that legacy into place,” Kelton said firmly.

It was my turn to be genuinely shocked. I blinked at him a full minute before flushing. “I wouldn’t put that much faith in me. I’d like people to remember Grandfather and that he helped people. I’ve met several who he helped or counseled. He was a good man. That’s who I think of as my parent and I always have.”

“I think you’re already doing it though, Bev.” Kelton nodded when I couldn’t hide my shock. “Money is great and you have money—you’ve said that several times. These treats aren’t about money. You want to help our people and their familiars. You want people to be able to grow their magic and not be trapped like you were. It always comes back to that.”

I forgot about the fact we were being recorded or putting on a performance for a moment.

“I think I feel very seen right now that you understand that. Yeah, I don’t want anyone to be trapped like I was. We’re more than property like Charles and others see us.” I swallowed loudly and met his gaze. “I want all of us to feel safe, not prey where purities are claimed or we’re whores if we—unfortunately, it means helping some of the bad to help the good.”

“Yeah, nothing is ever easy. Kevin is feeling that now,” he muttered, moving us along.

I nodded, realizing there was one more way I wanted to poke the bear before we did. “I’d almost feel bad for Rebecca if she wasn’t so horrible. I heard her on the phone right before I left for college when I acted as her driver once. She was telling a friend that one of the guards was obsessed with her and she was tempted.”

“How cliché,” he drawled.

“Yeah, but she said she wanted to have a chance at good sex with someone who saw her instead of treated her like a brainless breeder,” I continued. “And then her suffering would be over.” I nodded when Kelton froze. “She knew Charles would find out somehow and kill them both. She saw it as the best way to be freed from her cage as well.”

“That’s so fucking sick and sad at the same time,” he whispered. “That’s so heavy, and—I don’t know how you’ve kept this all inside all of this time. I had my mom and brother to talk with when I lost my dad. You were all alone trapped in that house like a prisoner.”

I shrugged. “I’m not there anymore. It’s just sad to watch Charles keep using people and I can’t do anything about it. I feel bad for the Rices.”

“They’re suing you, Bev. They’re assholes, and their son was a corrupt monster who would have killed my brother if you hadn’t stopped it,” Kelton seethed. “I’m pretty chill, but they don’t deserve you to feel bad for them. I want to shout at them until my voice goes out.”

I reached over and rubbed his hand. “I know. I get it.” I hurried on when he opened his mouth. “You’re assuming they’re doing it of their own free will. They probably aren’t.” I nodded when he frowned. “Charles is probably threatening them, Kelton. It’s what he does best. It’s the only thing he’s actually good at—knowing people’s pressure points.

“He’s threatening them somehow.” I bounced my head around. “Or he’s using his silver tongue to trick them. Those are his two actual talents just like his mother. They can turn things around and talk people into almost anything. He’s probably doing that now. He’s probably got them convinced their son wasn’t actually corrupt.

“And they’re grieving and probably desperate to latch onto anything—any hope they didn’t raise a bad person. That’s easier for them to believe instead of seeing what’s right in front of them.” I let out a slow breath and focused back on my food. “How was Charles involved if the cop wasn’t corrupt? Why is he swooping in now to ‘help?’”

“Because if he was really innocent then he would have just let it play out,” he muttered.

“Exactly, but this takes attention away from him, and he thinks he’ll win because he’s going up against me, a woman, and my attorney… A woman. He can’t see us clearly. And we have receipts. I have the text I received. Your brother followed protocol and logged why they went there and at his partner’s request.

“More than that, my attorney has already secured the proof we need. It’s sad for that family, but Curtis Rice was corrupt. He was on the payroll of the Shaw family, and this lawsuit will only embarrass them more. People want it to play out to hurt Charles, but it’s really going to hurt the Rices, and I feel bad for that.”

“You shouldn’t, Bev. They’re coming after you and are probably as greedy as their son. They’re coming after your money . Yes, there’s one line about your power needing to be bound because you’re dangerous, but it’s a ridiculous amount of money they’re asking for each charge after your last asshole attorney was passing around shit information on you.

“That your parents tried to take over and get their hands on. This is still about your fath—Charles getting what he thinks is his, and he’ll use anyone stupid enough to get involved. That’s what the Rices are doing. They see a payday. They have all of the attention, and if Charles was threatening them, they could tell the world and get help.”

“True, but he’s still using them.” I shrugged. “It won’t end well for either of them. Curtis left proof. They always think it will save them and they won’t end up dead like the others if they record a call or stash away proof, but it doesn’t. It’s useful to us now because Charles’s normal people didn’t go clean it up since it was all handled by clean cops this time.”

“Hey, who are you to illegally record a student on campus and post it live?” Winter bellowed as he came storming towards us. He went past our table and grabbed the phone from a guy sitting with a prime spot to record us.

And he wasn’t one of our plants. He was an actual student.

What Winter said sank in. He was putting it out there live on our social media?

“Disgusting,” I sneered.

“Do you know who I am?” the guy demanded as he tried to get his phone back.

“Do you know who I am?” I mocked as I stood up and grabbed a cupcake from my tray and threw it at him. “Don’t you assholes get tired of that being the only thing you can ever say? Yes, we know who you are. You’re the asshole with a tiny, tiny penis and last name that you think means you matter. But that’s all you have , and it’s pathetic because it means nothing.”

“And you’re a traitor to your family and—”

“No, I was loyal to my grandfather,” I corrected. “Those other people wanted to sacrifice me for my magic and give it to my eldest brother. If you tell me you would do something that fucking insane for your sibling, you’re lying. If they were loyal to me , they would never have thought to do something so horrific. So pick something else to come at me with.”

He snorted. “Fine, you’re a slut who fucked a professor, this guy—” he pointed at Winter, “—and that guy there too, right? I bet the others hovering—”

“ Freeze ,” I yelled when I saw Winter pull back his fist to clock the guy. I moved around the table and towards the guy, pulling away from Kelton when he went to stop me. “I haven’t, but I have slept with one of them. So what?” I snorted when the guy seemed vindicated. “Fine, I’ve fucked all of campus besides you . Happy?”

“No, I—”

“It doesn’t make any of your misogyny valid,” I continued. “You’d be a stud, but I’m a slut. That’s called sexism. It’s stupid , especially in a society that believes in a goddess as the highest power of the gods we believe in.” I moved closer to him so we were toe to toe even if I was shorter than him. “And let’s be honest what this is really about.”

“That I think you’re a slut and a sorry excuse for—”

“That you can’t best me,” I purred, smirking when people around us whispered. “I don’t even know your name, bro , but I do know you’ve tried to get me with your ‘pranks’ at least a dozen times now. And you never can. You can’t best a freshman—a lowly witch freshman, and it chaps your ass. So I give zero shits what you think because I think you’re pathetic.”

“You are not the only one, girl,” Gloria chuckled as she walked past with her tray and several of her friends… All giving the guy disgusted looks.

“ Unfreeze ,” I said as I pulled my magic off of Winter. “He’s not worth it and you’re not that guy. I wouldn’t like that guy.”

Winter blew out a slow breath. “You’re right that I’m not that guy, but even I have limits, Bev.”

“Yeah, but if I don’t get to beat him up, you don’t either.” I crooked my finger at him so he leaned down. I kissed his cheek and smiled when he chuckled. “Thanks for catching him breaking the rules and being a creeper. I really didn’t think—no one seriously follows any rules or laws if they have certain last names.”

“They do here, Ms. Millen,” Headmaster Kerwynn said as he briskly walked towards us. He held out his hand to Winter for the guy’s phone. “Let’s have a chat about your future here, Mr…”

The guy shot me a pissed look like it was my fault somehow.

I simply snorted. “Oh, not so quick to boast about your last name when you’re in trouble, huh? Pathetic. Own up to your actions. I do.”

“Yeah, I can tell, murderer. Why aren’t you in jail?”

“That’s enough,” the headmaster snapped, grabbing the guy’s arm and pulling him away from me.

But I stepped closer, showing I wasn’t afraid. “Either you’re too stupid to know the difference between murder and self-defense that resulted in an accident or you just used someone dying and a family’s grief to try and one-up someone you can’t beat. So are you stupid or an evil bastard?” I gestured around the cafeteria. “Which do you think they’ll all pick?”

Winter snorted. “Both. I pick both.”

Fair enough.

“And your family has actually murdered people,” I pushed the guy, nodding when he curled a lip at me. “You might be from a branch family since I don’t recognize you, but your family has a list of cops on the payroll too. All of the top-tier families do. Or should I say all the former noble joke families?”

“Personally, I like top-douche families, but I never say that around you because you were born of one,” Winter muttered.

I snorted. “Call a spade a spade. Don’t worry about me. I’m a Millen now. I can’t help who I was born to. I chose to get out and not be pathetic licking boots to show loyalty like others.”

And I made it clear that was my opinion of the branch family warlock guy before the headmaster dragged him away.

I grabbed my tray and left the cafeteria as if I didn’t want to sit there and be filmed anymore or even where people broke the rules… But the truth was much grosser.

Yeah, I had to go puke from the confrontation.

“Okay, so maybe we need to start with your ability to handle confrontation when you’re going to be in the spotlight so often,” Emma muttered when she found me in the bathroom.

I snorted but then groaned as I still felt sick. “Good luck with that. I would love some anxiety medicine for witches or—I heard humans use edibles and that helps with nausea too.”

She moved closer when I vomited more and helped me with my hair that fell out of my clip. “You’re a warrior, Bevin. You hate confrontation this much and still jumped in the fight. You’re impressive, girl. Never doubt that.” She rubbed my back when I was done.

“Thanks. My hair is a problem when this happens,” I grumbled.

“I have to ask for my own sanity, but this is stress and not an eating disorder, right?” she worried.

“It’s not even general stress,” I sighed as I sat back and wiped my face just to be sure I was good. “It’s just confrontation. I wasn’t allowed to fight back in that house. I shook and took it all, so letting anything out is… No, ED, I promise.” I blinked back tears. “Just a trauma response from being conditioned to be accepting of unacceptable behavior.”

“Go easy on yourself,” she whispered. “You’ve only been free a few months and beaten up left and right since you got out. I felt that after being deployed. It takes people years to come back really, and you were at war eighteen years, Bevin. Be kinder to yourself and start asking what you need, not what you can do better like you’re failing.”

I blinked at her a moment and nodded. That was maybe the best thing anyone had said to me to put this all into Bevin for me that I could understand it. “Thanks.”