Page 10

The next meeting I had was the one I was going to say “I told you so” to a lot of people. Jean had called Jasmine that morning and made it clear that I had a meeting with her that day or she would blow up my world in a way I couldn’t recover from.

And Jean didn’t make idle threats. I knew that and that she had something good if she was that confident. She was pissed after the hearing, but she could have used what happened to her advantage with the media.

But she hadn’t. She hadn’t announced she had taken over yet. She was waiting for something.

I was very, very sure that something had to do with me.

“Your lack of trust is almost insulting, baby sister,” Jean chuckled after my security swept the room and confirmed it was clean of recording devices or anything magical to be worried about. “But I suppose being much smarter than we all thought gave you the upper hand.”

“What do you want, Jean? I’m too busy for games and you certainly are.” I ignored the quick look Clare gave me like I was nuts or had big balls, but I appreciated her insisting on coming with. I’d thought for support, but it would involve her as well so… Yeah, self-preservation more than moral support for me.

Still, I understood.

She smiled like the cat that ate the canary as she picked up her drink and took a sip. “You and Clare will both return to the family and—”

“No, I won’t. I can’t speak for Clare, but that will never happen , so make your threat, Charles—I mean Jean, so I can turn it down,” I said firmly, mentally smirking when I saw the dig landed.

Familiar anger filled her eyes before it was gone. She was pissed I was taking away her fun and relishing of her win. “You’re a goddess witch. You’re also the owner of Familiar Treasures. You don’t want people to know that. That’s the threat.”

I couldn’t hide my reaction. Nothing could have prepared me for that being what Jean had. Owner of Familiar Treasures? Yes. The rest?

Not in a million years.

“You never told me you were a goddess witch,” Clare gasped, reaching over and grabbing my arm and shaking me. “Bevin?”

It snapped me out of my shock but also gave me the way to handle this. I met Jean’s triumphant gaze. “You got one of two.”

“Don’t play with me, Bevin. I’ve been doing this longer than you and—”

Actually, if she had been, she would have caught the lie. The only way it worked was because she listed three things, and I did actually want people to know I was the owner. It would make my life easier in a lot of ways to stop keeping all the secrets.

But realistically, I knew it was a stupid move still.

“I have no mark on my body, Jean,” I chuckled, folding my hands on my lap and smirking at her. “The council has already addressed this.” I clucked my tongue when she went to argue. “You think if Father received a vision that I was a goddess witch he would ever have let me go and not drained my magic for himself?”

Clare and Jean both froze, Clare taking the bait. “What vision?”

I kept Jean’s gaze. “You need to revisit your studies or should have paid better attention to them. One of the parents—normally the strongest I believe—receives a vision from the god or goddess blessing the witch or warlock. Verify it. It’s real. So is the mark I don’t have on my body. Fuck, search me.” I held my hands out to say I had nothing to hide.

Jean studied me a moment and I saw the anger return. She believed me.

Good.

“You’re still the owner of Familiar Treasures and I have the proof so don’t even deny it.”

“I’m not going to, but outing me for that isn’t enough of a threat to ever make me come back to the Shaw family and certainly not under your control, Jean,” I told her firmly. “Plus, I don’t know that I believe you have proof. I think you took a stab in the—”

“Oh, I don’t bluff, Bevin,” she purred. “Hell, I’m one of your shining examples of how well your products work.” That victory was back in her eyes. “You weren’t all that careful with your email when you were younger. And your password? Clarence1234? How silly. A stupid frog was your best friend—”

“Well, with such wonderful older siblings who were so good to me and nutfuck parents, how weird of me to like animals more,” I drawled. I snorted. “You really are Charles Shaw.”

“I am nothing like Father,” she snapped. “I didn’t cheat and—”

“You are admitting to stealing right now. You just didn’t kill to steal magic,” I chastised. “You stole one of the toys. You read my emails instructing—” I jumped when the door banged open and Tracey came strutting in.

“Ahh, there’s my baby sister’s guard dog,” Jean greeted. “I look forward to working with you in the future. We’re going to—”

Tracey already had her muting charm off and the whole room became flooded with power. Clare gasped, but I was used to this, my own power quickly catching up with how hard I was working and all of the harvesting others were doing for me now.

“I assume you wear your own to have survived that house and if you were stealing our lessons, so let’s see if you were as good of a student as you want to rub in your sister’s face,” Tracey taunted. “Or did you steal a toy from a child and break into her email and not even—”

Her taunting worked and Jean took off her own muting charm. The room filled with her power as well, looking confident.

But then Tracey laughed.

Hard.

“Ahhh, reading emails really isn’t the same as Bevin’s guidance. Plus, nature really likes people with pure intentions, and you’re just as evil as Charles,” Tracey said firmly. She reeled her power in but leaned on the back of the couch across from me, her gaze drilling into Jean’s. “But see the truth in my eyes. Do you see that I absolutely believe what I’m going to say?”

“Yes,” Jean confirmed after a moment and studying her aura.

“I will kill you to protect Bevin. I don’t care the—”

“Tracey,” I hissed.

“Shut it, kid,” she chuckled, still focused on Jean. “I will kill you. I will die for her. See the truth. I will take it that far because I love her. I am her big sister, and you are the psychopath who wants to use her. I won’t ever allow that, and I can bring you way too much fucking pain. You might win in the end, but I’m fine with blowing us both up. Are you?”

I’d never seen Jean look nervous. She swallowed loudly but then turned to me.

“Don’t look at her,” Tracey blasted. “Don’t try and make her feel guilty. This is my decision. This is what Henry asked of me and I accepted. You know how needed her magic is in our world. She was a kid when she made those first toys, and that is to be protected, Jean. I don’t—I will end you and the whole Shaw family to keep that in our world.”

“I believe you, but I don’t think you have the power or reach to do it,” Jean told her.

“No, but I do,” I told Jean as I stood. “I have no problem blowing up your world as well. I would do it just because it would keep Tracey safe and I love her.”

“Sit back down, Bevin,” Jean seethed. “We’re not done talking.”

I took in a slow breath and let it out. “Go ahead and tell people.” I chuckled when her eyes flashed shock. “Go ahead and tell the world that you’ve known all of this time that a kid was the owner of Familiar Treasures and you didn’t tell anyone. That you stole one of the prototypes and used it like a Shaw leech.

“Oh, but that won’t be the story you could ever tell, right? Not when you’re holding onto a thread at the moment being the pinnacle of power. No, you need me to secure your position.” I snorted when that shock came back. “You want to basically take all the credit. I knew you were hiding your power, Jean. I now understand why you always kept your familiar from me.

“That was the only piece I was missing. You want me to come back into the fold and act like you got me out and safe until Father was gone and you’re the hero who saved all of this for our world. How you probably built it all because I’m a useless airhead with magic and—however your spin will be. It’s all still cheating because it’s lies and—”

“It’s not lies,” she snapped. “Not when I saved your stupid ass several times. I cleaned up so you didn’t caught. I used to put magic on your room so Father couldn’t sense the magic in there , you fool. I covered for you again and—”

“That’s not noble when you did it so I could be useful to you, Jean,” I cut in. “You didn’t do it to save me. You kept me in play on your chessboard. I’m still a pawn in your eyes—one you should be allowed to use. So is Clare. Who are you planning to mate her off to so your position is secured?” I snorted when the hit landed.

“Screw you, Jean,” Clare hissed, seeing it too. “I’m not being mated off to—”

Jean’s gaze locked on Clare. “It’s a good match. It’s part of being in this family and—a woman has taken the head of the family and you should absolutely support that—”

“I’m not a whore!” Clare exploded. “I’m not a mare to be sold. What kind of sister, actually—you’re just as gross as Father. Grandmother—unforgivable. Fuck you. I’m not coming back even if it means I die. I’d rather die a Millen than just be a Shaw whore. I’m worth more than that.”

“Oh, I would ask the match just so you drive the final nail in the coffin,” Tracey pushed.

“You know,” I muttered.

She nodded. “Hughes. His eldest son is—”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Clare roared. “He’s worse than Alex. He’s gotten in trouble multiple times for beating up witches and—no one will mate him because he’s such a fucking monster. That’s who you would mate me off to? An abuser who brags that women can’t say no to him—fuck you, Jean. Yeah, I’m with Bevin. I cannot believe—”

I snorted. “I can. Jean has no issue with watching abuse. Do you, Jean?” I smirked when her pissed-off gaze focused back on me. “How many times did you see Alex hit me?”

“What?” Clare gasped as Tracey bit out the same word.

I nodded. “She used to smirk when she caught Alex. I used to think she was glad I was getting beaten or smacked, but then I realized it had nothing to do with me. She was amused to see Alex lose his temper when she never did. She was amused to witness another flaw of his—ammunition for her to use later why he was unfit.”

“Jesus Christ, Jean,” Clare whispered.

“You’re an actual psychopath, Jean, but I bet you knew that already,” I said to her, noticing there was no reaction. “Charles and Alex are too volatile, so they’re sociopaths, but you’re a psychopath.”

“My feelings are hurt,” she drawled. “That doesn’t change what I know and—”

“I would rather die than come back on principle alone, Jean,” I told her firmly. “I won’t let you use me for power or manipulate me after you watched me be abused with a fucking smirk.” I smiled at her. “Now, here’s my threat.”

It was her turn to snort as she stood. “You have no threat, Bevin.”

“I will break your bond with your familiar if you come for me,” I told her, beaming at her when she froze. “How’s that for a threat?”

She studied me. “No, there’s no way—”

“She already made that threat to a councilman, and she’s been tested as having the ability,” Tracey said firmly.

Jean argued, but I felt that itching feeling like my magic had more to do. I moved closer to Jean and burst out laughing, interrupting them both.

“What did you learn?” Tracey asked, catching on to what was happening.

“That I don’t need the familiar to damage the bond, at least for Jean since it was my magic that helped her,” I told her, still studying Jean. “You saw you’re more powerful than her, right?”

“Yes.” But there was more to it. That was clear in Tracey’s tone.

“Her bridge isn’t as good as yours,” I muttered as I nodded. “I can see it. That’s what my magic wanted me to check.” I smirked at Jean. “Want to see if I can damage it? How hard did you work to build that bridge with your eagle, Jean? What is the saying? Fuck around and find out? Let’s find—”

“Bevin, don’t be them,” Clare cut in, her voice shaking.

I let out a slow breath and took a step back before looking at her, seeing how worried Tracey looked also. That made me mad. “Do you know the scars I have from Alex? And she knew. She knew! She smirked. She knew they wanted to sacrifice me and apparently interfered not because it was wrong but because—”

“It is wrong, and that was part of my helping you,” Jean cut in. “It makes our family crazy. I don’t agree with you that I’m a psychopath. I am broken just like the rest of the Shaws including the two of you. I had to cut myself off from everything to survive as well!”

I met her gaze again. “I don’t believe you.”

“You don’t know me well enough to—”

“You could have come in here and asked for help,” I snapped. “You could have asked for forgiveness for not helping me then and explaining it would have meant both of us being beat. I would have understood that. Or even—you came in here ready to fuck us over. Smiling that you could. So don’t play the victim here.”

“Agreed, but don’t become dirty like them, Bevin,” Clare implored. “You’re right and Jean is cheating. You didn’t. Your company and everything is clean.”

“Oh, who’s the liar now, Clare?” Jean drawled. “She got the start from Grandfather, lying to all of us and hiding her magic to—”

“So she didn’t die! Everything she did was to survive, Jean. I could even forgive you a lot for the same but Bevin’s right. You didn’t ask us to go on the record that we support you or wish you the best. There was a lot you could have done with this meeting. Instead, you were going to take credit for everything Bevin’s been doing—”

“Why stop there? She could pretend to be the owner if she had Bevin under her control,” Tracey purred, seeing something in Jean’s aura.

That pissed Jean off. “That wouldn’t even make sense and I’ve worked hard for the power I have. Yes, I stole a toy when I was a college kid, but I worked hard and was diligent.”

“Fine, then prove it and don’t cheat now,” I taunted, seeing the right move to make. I snorted. “Hell, I’ll even help you, just not in the way you wanted.” I nodded towards the door. “Walk out there and announce that you wish Clare and I the best and you understand why we did what we did.

“As our oldest sister, you understand the toxic male leadership did a lot of harm and abuse to us. Fuck, I’ll give you the proof Alex abused me. I have it. He can’t be in charge. Take it and spin your tale that you helped us get free because you worried for us while taking on Charles and exposing Alex. Take the win.”

“That’s not enough,” she bit out.

“You do that and truly put the last nail in this coffin and leave us alone and I’ll give you something so dirty on Hughes that it will keep him off of you,” I promised.

“Do I know about this?” Tracey muttered, shooting me a look.

“Taylor does. He was going to talk to you, but—we’re always busy.” I shrugged. “It’s big though and a problem. We’re going to have to figure out how to handle it. Now that Fath—Charles is gone, I have a feeling Taylor is going to focus on undercutting other heads.” I smirked at Jean. “It could be Hughes or someone who would protect you?”

“I still don’t think you have the power to—”

“Believe her, Jean,” Clare sighed. “She’s beloved by several councilmen’s wives. Mrs. Reid has taken her as a protégé. And she’s doing these sessions I don’t understand yet with every councilman. You obviously understand about them though from those emails…”

“And the way you’re now so pissed,” Tracey chuckled, putting salt on Jean’s upset and why Clare trailed off. “Now you see that your plan wouldn’t have worked. No, it wouldn’t have. We’re aligned with the council. They’ve invested in our expansion and more. You would only look the fool if you told people.”

I snorted. “She’d be eaten alive. She’s not telling anyone without me.” I shrugged when Jean opened her mouth. “We both know I’m right. The aunts and uncles would be pissed you kept it secret and they couldn’t use me to get Charles out sooner. Mother would never forgive you. Grandmother would take back her support, and you need that for now.”

“And more than that, they’d all want her to be the head,” Clare said firmly. “And you know it, Jean.”

“They’d puppet her for the power and—”

“Yes, they would try to,” I agreed. “But you are currently the best option while they circle the wagons and come up with a new play. While Grandmother backs you, you are the best person. That changes if you tell the truth about me. And we both know it. So take my deal and play the loving sister and victim on this, or I will blow up your world , Sister.”

If that wasn’t enough to solidify the deal, Mrs. Oliviera and Mrs. Reid came into the room with Mrs. Moon and Mrs. Cook.

“You are the first head of a family who didn’t kill for the role or do anything horrid,” Mrs. Reid said firmly. “I suggest you not start and focus on turning around the image of the top-tier families. You have the chance to make history and change a lot, Ms. Shaw. Do it honorably because your father started a war and we’re not backing down. Don’t be the first casualty.”

“I believe we are having our sessions and you’re working on your next project while teaching us what to do?” Mrs. Moon asked. “Oh, and my chef made some food for you lovely women. Tracey and Jasmine are too busy to cook and they need nourishment. The guards have it.” She smirked at Jean. “Have a lovely day, Ms. Shaw.”

Jean ignored them and focused on me. “I want a brush and for us to be taken off the blocked list.”

“No, I’m not helping to make you more powerful after you wanted to sell Clare like a fucking mare and take me over,” I said with a sneer. “I’m disgusted my toy did what it has.”

“She’s still better than Alex and she took out Father,” Clare reminded me.

“I did not take out his familiar,” Jean said firmly, actually looking upset for a second. “I had Father handled with my power and he was supposed to go to the hunting cabin to…” She cleared her throat.

“Except he didn’t and came for me, and Alex went for Clare. There’s your announcement to everyone.” I let out a slow breath. “Let’s see how things go. I’ll decide about those who work for you if you leave us alone. Maybe.” I glanced at Tracey. “Let’s go. We’ve given too much time for this already.”

“You should have come with better ammo and planned things out better when she’s smarter than you, Jean,” Tracey taunted as I went for the door. “And remember what I said. Remember this moment and how you believed me because I will always feel this way.”

I think we all breathed a sigh of relief when we arrived back home. “I really, really didn’t see that coming.”

“No, but I agree with you that she gets nothing from telling people and it was just a threat to get what she wanted,” Tracey muttered. “Either way, I’m going to talk to Taylor about this Hughes thing and update him.”

I nodded but then focused on Clare. I swallowed loudly as I moved closer. “I lied. I’m sorry.”

Understanding and something soft filled her eyes. “I already figured it out. You’re a goddess witch. I know. I just said that for Jean to throw her off.”

“Why? Thank you? How?” I muttered, confused and not sure what to think.

She reached out like she was going to touch my shoulder but then let her hand drop. “You lied to me that day you told me about Grandfather. He didn’t just save you because you were the youngest. That was the lie. He got the vision, didn’t he?”

“I think so. I don’t really know.” I snorted when she frowned. “He was the one who named me, but I don’t know. He didn’t tell me. Wyatt did after crazy and I almost broke with fear.”

“Wow. Okay, just… Wow.” She shocked me by hugging me. “You did well, Bevin. Really well. This is the team now. Tracey and I are your big sisters and—I’m not a fighter, but I’m a damn good planner and organizer. I’ll help. However I can help, I will.”

“That’s a very big change from what I know of your relationship,” Mrs. Moon said, her voice accusatory. “Forgive me for not trusting your intentions.”

Clare stepped back and let me go. “You weren’t raised in that house of horrors as we were. I was lied to just as much as Bevin was and nothing was what I thought. I bullied her and I regret it, but some of that is being spoiled bratty kids. I never abused her.

“I was always drowning in my own crazy with that family. But I want to survive. I survived this long, and I want to keep surviving. So trust in that and I tied my fate to hers. Helping her keeps me safe and out of a fate worse than death.” She snorted. “Plus, the end of our world from what I remember.”

Yeah, that whole thing about a goddess witch or god warlock falling into the hands of a top-tier family thing. No big.

No pressure.

“How did you all come to be there?” I asked after they had a moment to accept that.

“I told them,” Tracey confessed. “Well, I told Mrs. Oliveria and that you both were worried and knew Jean well, so it was smart to trust you. That I was going and would listen, but if the shit hit the fan, I would text her for backup. The shit hit the fan.”

“And we are the fabulous backup,” Mrs. Oliveria said with flair before looking at Mrs. Moon. “Did your chef make that carrot salad? I love that and might sneak a few bites. I keep meaning to get the recipe from you.”

“It is rather good, isn’t it? Just refreshing and hits the spot. Yes, I have a huge container for them because they need their veggies too.”

Well, crisis averted… For the moment at least.

I wasn’t sure with Jean. She could double down or cut her losses to find a better path.

I really hoped the latter.