Page 7

I finished my run with another of Taylor’s guys while I interpreted for him and his familiar and he agreed to help me with something later. My magic was telling me something and I wanted—I had an idea. I had no idea if it would work, but since I was working with Mrs. Reid and Wyatt soon, I thought it was worth trying.

So it surprised me to find Wyatt waiting for me… And looking pissed.

“Good morning?” I hedged and reached for the sports drink waiting. I groaned and grabbed my side. I stepped away when Wyatt was suddenly there about to touch me. “What?”

“I was going to heal you,” he explained. “You’re hurt.”

“Oh, no—my period started,” I mumbled, my cheeks heating, and I hoped my flush from working out hid it. “I just should have hydrated more last night. I wasn’t paying attention to the calendar with… Everything.” I felt better when Emma snorted. “Thanks though.”

“Stretch better than normal,” Emma reminded me, nodding when I promised her that I knew and would.

“You’re early,” I said to Wyatt, my question implied.

“Someone wanted to talk to you before I had my appointment with you as your power assessor,” he informed me, nodding down to Quinn.

He’d been quiet and half hiding behind Wyatt’s leg which wasn’t like him.

“Are you okay?” I asked Quinn, worried about the huge shift in his behavior. “Are you not feeling well?”

“I don’t like you being mad at me,” he admitted, focused on the ground. “I was going to bring you flowers, but it seemed rude to pick them from your own land. But I didn’t—Derek thought I was telling him to buy you flowers from him. I wanted to get you flowers as my apology.”

“That makes more sense,” Wyatt sighed when I told him. “Okay, we’ll pick flowers for her from you, Quinn. Sorry. I—I’ve been tied up too.”

Quinn immediately jumped up on his shoulder and snuggled with him in comfort but was still focused on me. “Can we talk a bit while you eat breakfast? Please? I would like to talk and apologize.”

“I would like that a lot, Quinn,” I accepted. “Thank you for checking.”

“My stomach hurt with you being mad at me. I didn’t like it,” he admitted. “A lot of people have hated us, but it hurt when you hated me.”

“I didn’t hate you. I hated how you were behaving.”

“It feels the same.”

“Yeah, it does sometimes,” I accepted. “I’m sorry it did.”

My next surprise was going inside to find a huge spread all made for breakfast… And Clare cooking in the kitchen.

“She cooks,” Tracey muttered. “Did you know she cooked?”

I opened my mouth but then closed it. “Mother made a comment that I should be sent to the same cooking classes that Clare and Jean were. I think I knew it was part of their finishing school stuff?”

“I’m right here and can hear you,” Clare drawled. “Yes, we took basic perfect housewife shit.” She chuckled. “Fuck, I didn’t even swear in my own condo, always worried Mother or Father would find out. It’s really fun. I’m five years old that it tickles me so much, but it’s fine. Also, I was never allowed to cook so many carbs for myself. I’m going to get fat.”

“Don’t do that when you’re so gorgeous,” Jasmine said as she came in looking over something. “Fuck them. Have balance. Be healthier all around. That’s what I’m going for. I’m going to try to start running once we get the addition put on. Not Bevin’s crazy runs but she—her aura is so much lighter after she runs. I want that.”

“I prefer swimming but yes,” Tracey agreed.

Clare seemed to consider that. “Yeah, that’s better. I’ve dabbled a bit with protein pancakes and—you didn’t have any of that in your fridge and I just asked the guards—I didn’t know—”

“If you want to handle the food for the cost of your staying here, please do ,” Tracey cut in, clearly picking up on something I didn’t.

Clare seemed glad that she had, so that was nice.

I thanked Clare and then loaded up two plates and sat down, going back for juice and a sports drink. After a moment of thought, I brought some berries for Quinn and he was over the moon, thanking me for not hating him anymore.

“You have to act better,” I told him gently. “Love goes both ways—kindness does. Just because—you guys have wounds and I do too. I don’t want to be friends with people who I constantly have to say no to or tell to step back over the line. That’s horrible for me and…”

Steam was about coming out of Wyatt’s ears and pain all over his face at the same time. That was what made me trail off.

“That wasn’t meant for you,” I mumbled and focused back on Quinn.

No, it wasn’t meant for him, but it didn’t not apply to him either.

And that wasn’t my fault.

Quinn told me his side and that a lot of times I would laugh or seem more playfully exasperated with him instead of actually upset. And he didn’t think it was over the line if I would also call him for comfort. He saw it more as the teasing Wyatt did with his friends, “ribbing” instead of bullying, and he was very sorry that he hurt me.

“Okay, I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt and start over,” I told him when he was all done. “The main point you need to understand is we didn’t know each other well and your master knew his friends for a long time to behave that way with them. So you can’t take those kinds of cues to behave with someone new.”

“That makes sense,” Quinn accepted.

“Also, your warlock is in a very, very precarious position, Quinn. He’s a professor young, and you know how he has suffered more than anyone. People look for any fault or flaw to pick apart. You cannot be that flaw to him.”

“I’ve been good in his classroom. I’ve been really good,” he defended.

“I know. I’ve heard, and that’s why I’m willing to start over. I believe you were acting out because you needed more stimulation and to get out your energy. You needed more attention, and—I think you’ve matured as well. We all need to learn from our mistakes.”

“I want to. I want to be good for Derek too,” he mumbled, sounding contrite, not just saying what he thought I needed to hear.

“Okay, then let’s do this,” I hedged before taking several gulps of my juice. “If Professor Wyatt agrees, how about you hang out here when he’s working with the large familiar housing? You’ve been doing great in class and on your bed and he’s been defending you, but it’s a lot of stress on you both. The familiar housing is complete now and he’s going to be busy with that.

“He’s in charge of the study and will be the one published. So it’s going to be a lot of pressure on him. And I know you’ve been getting bullied by some of the large familiars there. That’s not a good environment for you when you’re working on yourself. So I know you like it here and there are always nice familiars to hang out with, right?”

“Yeah, plus, you let me hunt here and it’s fun,” he agreed. “I like Woodchuck. We play.”

“Woodchuck likes you too,” I said firmly, knowing the familiar did feel that way. “But I worry she might get bullied by some of the new familiars coming in. There’s going to be a lot of people now and she’s just a tiny ferret. So she could use help reminding people of the rules and keeping order. So I’ll trust you with that responsibility and being her right hand, okay?”

That was what Quinn needed. Faith. Someone to have that sort of faith in him. Even Wyatt had rolled his eyes at the idea of getting Quinn to behave, which… Why would he work on being better if no one thought he could do it? It was the same with people.

Hell, it was why most of the youngest kids in the world were spoiled brats from what I’d read.

I wasn’t a good example of it, but from what I heard it was cliché for a reason.

I looked at Wyatt and he was studying Quinn with such a soft look that it warmed my heart. His familiar was talking excitedly and it touched the warlock.

“That would be great if it’s not an imposition,” Wyatt agreed. “I didn’t know he was being bullied.”

“I don’t think it’s been bad, but there’s no reason for him to deal with it,” I told him. I snorted. “Some of them were bullying me. The familiars of assholes can be just as big of assholes sometimes. Seriously.”

“Thank you, Bevin, really.”

Good. That was something handled that had bothered me as well. I didn’t want to be mad at Quinn any more than he wanted me upset with him. He’d comforted me when I’d needed it, and—we’d tripped and now we could fix it.

If only every relationship in my life could be handled so smoothly.

We finished breakfast and Clare shooed me away when I went to help clean up. It bothered me and she frowned when I just stood there.

“This is when I don’t know how to handle this and our past is going to be a problem,” she muttered, looking at Tracey and Jasmine as if to ask for help.

Tracey jumped right in and gave Clare a hard look. “Depends if you’re turning to me because you won’t show her patience and are being a shit or are you worried about hurting her?”

“Worried about hurting her, but my patience is short because of the crazy I just went through, and that’s valid to say and ask for understanding for,” Clare bit out. “I’m freaking out about tomorrow and having nightmares about Alex. So please cut me some slack too.”

“Understood. And yes, more than fair,” Tracey accepted before turning to me. “Clare needs busywork and a project. Our bathrooms are spotless. Your sister seems to be a stress cleaner and—leave it be.”

“Oh, okay. I was hoping to give her a session too,” I muttered.

“I think that unwise until she’s free, plus she’s distracted,” Jasmine interjected. “But I also have the stuff from the contractor about the addition and it’s Greek to me. I think we’re getting railroaded.”

“Yes, good, I can help with that,” Clare accepted with a sigh.

Okay then, something else I didn’t understand. It was frustrating, but well… Maybe I should start trying to focus on the wins?

The Reids arrived with their familiars and that confused me until Taylor said he wanted to go over the property some with his father. Again, I was missing something, but I left it alone. I couldn’t keep up with it all, but I did comment maybe they should talk with Clare about the contractor if Jasmine thought we were getting taken advantage of.

“Probably when your priority was keeping things quiet, but now that Charles knows where you are, you don’t have to worry about that anymore,” Taylor muttered. “I’ll get into it.”

Cool.

I sat outside with Mrs. Reid and Professor Wyatt. I explained to them where my mind was about using my magic more effectively. They explained to me what Wyatt’s friend had said about me being too early. I needed more of the basics down before I started trying to adjust how I used my magic.

“That doesn’t make sense to me,” I sighed, scrubbing my hands over my face. “Even a basic runner changes shoes for comfort or socks—whatever the analogy is.”

“You’re not wrong, but you’re looking at it too simply,” Mrs. Reid guided. “Or maybe the magic as the parts, but it’s the whole. The spells are the socks or shoes. The magic is you. You took a lot of work to get to this point. You need the maturity of your magic just as you are.” She tapped her fingers on her other hand a moment as if thinking how to frame it for me.

“You didn’t use gels to start,” Wyatt offered. “You didn’t go that far. That came later.”

“Yes, yes , exactly, well done, Wyatt,” she praised. “Even other factors like being old enough for a sports bra instead of a child racing around the playground. Learning how to run during your menstruation and how to handle that. Tying up your hair versus clips. Then you factor in clothes for the elements. All of that is your spells.”

“And the outcome is the magic? But the magic makes each spell,” I muttered.

“Yes, in the literal sense, but in the figurative and life sense, the more spells and magic you’ve done, the more your magic grows. You’ve said your magic has pushed you to grow and learn. You can sense things and that’s how you’ve made your products?” she asked.

Wyatt jumped in when I nodded. “That’s how we move to the next level of spells with our familiars. We—it’s like things lock into place. You don’t have that because you don’t have a familiar. So for us, it’s like we know by playing with how we filter or change the flow of magic.”

“Instead of thinking of making you run better, think of it as travel in general,” Mrs. Reid suggested. “You run. You walked before. You could have a debate on which is more efficient, but really it’s about outcomes. You can bike. That gets you further for your energy, but you can’t do it for everything.”

“Yes, yeah, much better analogy. I remember this from school,” Wyatt agreed. “Now take it to the next steps. Or even back one. What moves you before a bike?”

I sighed. “Roller skate or rollerblades. Skateboard. Scooter? Some of the electric ones would be after a bike I think.”

“Yes, but you get the idea. That’s how you have to start thinking about your spells and using magic,” she advised. “You’re not using a skateboard for a huge big distance and you don’t use that type of magic for that level of spell. But you won’t understand that until you start doing those types of spells.”

“It’s why we were all watching you with awe when you make toys,” Wyatt explained. “Kelton might not have ever seen someone so effortlessly use high-level magic like that.” He waited until I nodded, giving me a sad smile. “It also means your perception is a bit off from a normal witch or warlock.”

There it was. That was the part I was missing. I let out a shaky breath. “Thank you. Th-that was what—it just wasn’t clicking. I thought—I mean I knew it would be weird for me because I didn’t have a familiar but…” I took in a shaky breath and bobbed my head. “Okay, yeah, that…”

“I believe I’m going to be the twentieth or so person to tell you that you’re too hard on yourself, but it will take you time to really hear us,” Mrs. Reid said gently. “And after speaking with Sergey and Nina, you flew through their instruction. That was years of teachings. Yes, for children, but you flew through it and are now where a high school freshman would be.”

“Probably sophomore now,” Wyatt corrected.

“So you’ve done well,” Mrs. Reid continued. “You’ve always been academically gifted. I see that in your transcripts and studies. I will be reviewing your independent study this week so no one can call Professor Wyatt into question, and I will have more notes for you. Everything in time, Bevin.”

I settled with that a minute. “So because I don’t have a familiar and my view of magic is different—is that why my magic agitates me? Do you feel that when you’re on the verge of something?”

“No,” Wyatt answered.

“Yes,” Mrs. Reid countered, winking at me. “But not as young as you, so always maybe default to you being a goddess witch.” Again, fair. “And on that note, I think it’s past time you started wearing a muting charm like Tracey does. This will also hide the flavor of your magic. Taylor has always been sensitive to it, and I taught him well even with…”

His lack of magic now. He was practically at nil before I fixed his bond with Cheese. It felt like being mean to say that, but it was the truth.

One his mother wouldn’t want to admit.

“Most think necklaces for magical charms or magical anything,” she told me. “So I had this one specially made with my own magic infused as well. If it’s ever broken off of you, meaning you’re in that type of danger, I will be alerted. You can use your full magic at any time. It’s not muting as in muting your magic. It’s like…”

“An odor eater,” Wyatt muttered, shrugging when I gave him a funny look. “It is. It’s crass, but that’s really what it is. It’s like wearing baking soda on your wrist and no one can sniff out your power level or that you’re blessed.”

“Yes, basically.”

“Cool,” I chuckled as she put it on me with magic. It was a slim, permanent silver bracelet.

“I checked with Morrigan’s regulations. You need to put athletic tape over it in training. If anyone asks, it’s a security bracelet given the threats against you. They are allowed and no one can ask you to take it off. Tell them it is registered with the headmaster if they push you. It is,” she explained.

“Awesome. Thank you. How much do I owe you?”

Something soft filled her eyes as she pushed back some stray hair from my forehead. “You gave me a miracle that I can never repay, Bevin. You owe me nothing in this life and the next.” She blinked back tears. “I am a mother who failed her son and you gave him a chance to heal with this familiar. I’m always in your debt.”

I caught her hand when she went to pull away. “I would have given anything to have had a mother who loved me a fraction as much as you love him. You didn’t fail him. Life and this society are just messed up, Mrs. Reid. The pressure of being a councilman’s son is… You didn’t fail. You never gave up on him, and that’s an amazing mother.”

“I agree because mine wrote me off long ago, and I tried so hard for so long,” Wyatt muttered, swallowing loudly and looking away.

“Thank you to you both.” She sniffled and wiped under her eyes. “Okay then, enough sad topics. You said there was something you wanted to try? What fun are we helping you with?”

I could take the hint, and I wanted the answer as well. I found Taylor’s guy, noting the annoyed look Wyatt gave him but focused on the task. I explained to him what I was doing with the yarn and showed him how to start as I handed him a skein. Then I told Wyatt and Mrs. Reid the truth.

“My magic—it makes me like agitated or like I know there’s more and I’m missing something. Like how I checked the vibe of the brushes. I sort of scan things? I did it with the yarn and…” I sighed and scrubbed my hands over my face. “It felt like it was wasteful to do it alone.”

“Okay, then go ahead and we’ll keep watch and track what’s going on,” she told me, Wyatt nodding as well.

So we did the looping with the whole skein like we were starting a long line of a blanket to crochet… Without the needle. Just with our hands which was a thing now with the huge yarn. It was cool when I saw it on YouTube. But this was for work. I’d done it so many times now that I could do it without thinking or looking.

The guy—not so much. Still, he was trying his best even if he seemed bored.

“I would suggest a more neutral attitude from him even if it’s your magic,” Wyatt drawled at one point. The guy nodded and apologized, muttering he sucked at crafts.

“Pretend this one is for your familiar and you want them comforted. That’s the goal,” I told him.

That seemed to help and we were done in no time. I showed him how to tie it off and handed it over to Mrs. Reid for her to check.

“They’re the same,” she confirmed. “Well done. How do you feel?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but Clare came bursting out the back door. She glanced around before locking gazes with me, panic in her eyes. She raced over and practically tossed her phone at me.

“Someone killed Father’s familiar. It’s all over the news everywhere. It’s confirmed. I guess it was leaked last night by someone who works for us—them, but now it’s—it’s all over.”

My hand shook as I looked over what she was showing me. I had a flash of my saying it would be the best way to take out Charles the other day, but… There was no way. No, that person couldn’t have managed that. Right?

And no way a friend of mine could be so horrible to kill a familiar even of someone evil.

Right?

I put it out of my mind. It wasn’t possible, plus I had to focus on what was going on. “Alex is still in jail, right?”

“Out on bail,” Clare whispered. “You think it was him?”

I slowly nodded. “It wasn’t us.” I glanced up at her, nodding again when she snorted. “No way we could get in there unnoticed, and—I couldn’t hurt a familiar, even one—I couldn’t do it. I’d kill Charles in a heartbeat but not his poor familiar.” I let out a slow breath and kept scrolling, skimming the report. “Alex has no limit or line.

“I bet Father heard he failed with you and I—he lost twice with me and probably went too far with Alex—told him he would have Bryan be his heir or something. So he took out his familiar. Charles has so many enemies that there would be a list—hell, I’d ask Taylor if it wasn’t for the timing. This is a reaction to something.”

“Taylor could never—” Mrs. Reid started to defend.

“I’d do it easily after he threatened your lives, Mom,” Taylor drawled. “I just didn’t have any way to get in there cleanly, and I didn’t want to make Bevin an accessory giving me the information I would need.”

I handed Clare back her phone before meeting his gaze. “It would all be different now. I showed my hand that I had too much from their cloud and systems. Charles is a lazy cheater but paranoid. He would have changed guard assignments and schedules as if that changed how computers and the cloud work.”

“She’s right. He did make changes,” Clare confirmed. “Recently, and I didn’t know why. Grandmother didn’t know either and was annoyed she was out of the loop.” She frowned at me. “What did you tell him?”

“You don’t want to know,” I promised her. “We’re handling it. Don’t—you have enough nightmares.”

“Yeah, I do,” she whispered. “Does this change tomorrow? What do we do now? We can’t just—he could be even more unhinged and—or what if it’s Alex we have to—”

“Nothing changes, Clare,” I told her gently. “The hearing is set and you’re becoming a Millen tomorrow. It’s even more important now if Alex is taking over, okay? There’s no reason the council won’t rule for us on this.” I smiled when Mrs. Reid snorted.

But that seemed to help Clare.

I met Jasmine’s gaze as she came out. “I’ve been with people—handle it however Tracey wants. It wasn’t me. I truly don’t know anything.”

She nodded. “I heard what you were saying about Alex. I think that’s the best move—go on the offense and make it clear anyone who doesn’t assume it’s him is a fool. He’s ruthless and horrible and would take Charles spiraling as an opportunity to act.”

I blew out a slow breath but then remembered what Mrs. Reid originally asked me. “It was easier. I used the same amount of magic. I think I could do one more person.” I nodded when her eyes flashed shock. “That’s why I was asking about changing the flow of magic or how to restrict it. This doesn’t take much magic and it’s like my spigot is open too wide.”

“You really are going to be the most fun I’ve ever had working with a student or protégé, Bevin. You really are,” Mrs. Reid whispered before throwing her head back and bursting out laughing.

Yay?