9 #3
I blinked at him and couldn’t hide my shock. “I didn’t mean you, Father. Not in the slightest. You would never be so ridiculous when this benefits the family.” I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen him so stunned.
“Who did you mean, girl?” one of the great-uncles demanded, the way he spoke to the women of the family making him the first I would push off a cliff.
I kept my father’s gaze so hopefully he believed me or at least remembered some of what I’d said before.
“Some of the cousins in this room who cannot let go that I’ve done better in school than them.
That I have more magic than them. They’ve mocked that I’m being forced to mate someone abusive and made comments that I’ll be ugly in my casket. ”
“That’s true,” Father confirmed. “My mate told me as much. She overheard some of it directly. She said the level of disloyalty in the family was getting unnerving and I agreed.”
Coming from him, that was almost funny if the topic wasn’t so serious.
I met Uncle’s gaze. “So I want assurances that I won’t be set up to fail. Some real consequences if I am. That’s not too much to ask when this benefits the family and we know everyone here doesn’t care about that.”
Three of my older cousins looked like they wanted to strike me dead and basically proved they were the ones I was referring to.
Idiots.
“If anyone interferes, they will be cut off completely,” Uncle declared.
“Disowned without a dime. Cast out and honestly I might bury their familiars before they’re never found.
” He stared people down when they couldn’t hide their shock.
“I want the girl. She could mean everything for this family and I want her as a Dotson.
“Do not interfere. If Madeline tells me truthfully that she believes she was sabotaged, I will bring all of you here and question you. If you fail, I will not hold back and Madeline will get her payout without having to continue or risk prison. Is anyone unclear?” He waited until everyone nodded before looking at me.
“The same for you if Bevin ends up in another family.”
Well, that was motivating… Just not in the way he thought.
“Understood, Uncle.”
I understood completely. I had just over five weeks to meet with Bevin alone and figure out what I was going to do to get her help before I was magically locked into a deal I couldn’t escape from.
I didn’t think anything could shock me more than that meeting, but when I was alone with Father after we’d circled home, he turned to me and said words I’d never heard before. Not from him or anyone in that family.
“I’m proud of you, Madeline.” He looked like it hurt him to say, but I was numb to him and didn’t really care. Then, of course, he had to go on. “Don’t make me regret it.”
Now I really wanted him to.
Things progressed slowly. I used the ins I had and knew I was being watched. I did as I told Uncle and played the game, dropping hints to Bevin during running club and more.
Finally, the Thursday of fall break, I was almost out of time and desperate, texting Bevin directly that my fiancé had beaten me again and I couldn’t continue living this way. She responded almost immediately telling me where to meet her… And to bring my familiar.
I swallowed loudly, having an idea about that and hoping I was right. I was putting everything on this and all of my faith in Bevin after all.
I grabbed Sadie, my boxer mix familiar, and went to the spot by the guard station where we could circle off the property. One of the guards asked where I was going and I lied, telling him Morrigan. They didn’t really care as long as their asses were covered and couldn’t get in trouble later.
How nice for them. I wished that was an option for the rest of us in the family.
Bevin was waiting for me with a few of her guards, and the moment I was near her another circle flared and took us somewhere else. I didn’t blame her with all the crazy that she dealt with, but it was also prudent given how I’d worded my text.
I was more than a bit nervous when I saw we were in the middle of nowhere though.
“We both know you’ve been playing me, but the question is whether it’s because you’re being watched or you’re really evil like our families,” she said bluntly.
I decided to hit her home run right back at her. “And you learned that because you can hear my familiar, right?”
She studied me. “You know something more than just the Shaw family doctor’s theory.”
I nodded. “A great-great-great-aunt’s journal who didn’t have a familiar who wrote about other familiars liking her. Natural animals too because she could hear all of them.”
“Others who don’t have familiars don’t hear them,” she countered.
“No, but sometimes you look so overstimulated when there are familiars around, like too many people are trying to get your attention,” I explained. “It’s exactly how she described it.”
Bevin nodded. “What happened to her?”
“She was committed, her father not believing a lowly woman could have such power,” I answered sadly. “Every Dotson woman is forced to read the journal as a warning of our place and what’s expected of us.”
“Gross,” she bit out.
“Aren’t all of our families?” I whispered and let out a shaky breath before leaning against a tree. “I don’t know if it’s better or harder that you know.”
“I would say better because I still came to meet you, Maddie.” Her tone was gentler now as if knowing I was actually in trouble.
“You don’t understand how bad it is,” I rasped, finally admitting it to myself.
“I wasn’t going to go through with what they want.
” I turned and actually plopped down, leaning against the tree and staring up at her and not hiding how defeated I felt.
“You have no idea how bad it really is. I don’t think we can win and I want you to win. I think…”
She shouldn’t try to save me. Gods help me and poor Sadie forgive me, but I was pretty sure that was the actual answer, and I wasn’t sure if it was selfless or weak of me.
Kindness practically surrounded Bevin like a blanket as she squatted down in front of me. “Try me. I bet I can shock you more than you can me, Maddie.”
I let out a dark bark of laughter. “The head of my family thinks you’re really a goddess witch and won’t stop until you’re his.
I’m pretty sure we both know how he wants you, and even if you’re not, I don’t think he’ll acknowledge that.
I think he’ll move forward anyways and try to make other heads your stars and combine families under his power. ”
She swallowed loudly, probably not having been ready for that level of insanity, but then she let out a slow breath. “I’m the owner of Familiar Treasures.”
It took me a full minute to make my mouth work. “You win.”
Bevin chuckled. “I normally do with that one, but you can imagine how hard it’s been. So my freedom wasn’t just handed to me as you and others think. I’ve fought and suffered for it.” She tilted her head and studied me. “Are you willing to fight for yours? Take the hits that are required?”
“If it’s real,” I rasped, begging her with my eyes. “Please, just let it be real because I’d rather just die than go back to what they’ll do to me.”
Something a bit dark filled her eyes. “Maddie, I don’t plan for any of these bastards to be left standing when we’re done with them.
This is war. It will take a long time, but make no mistake, you’re signing up for war if you come to our team.
You don’t have to be on the front lines, but we’re fighting and we won’t stop fighting. ”
Could I do that?