15
Bevin
I pushed Link behind me and gave him a look to stuff it before turning to Councilman Reid.
“Your wife was there when he tried to abduct me before. It happened again. I was stupid and he laid out a plan. I’ll go under truth magic.
” I looked at Jason. “Will you? They’ll have to ask you a lot for that, right?
” I chuckled darkly and reached to pet his familiar.
“No, no, you can’t think to get away with this, you fucking little—”
That pissed me off and I took a step towards him, stopping because Link put a hand on my shoulder.
“Don’t talk to me about getting away with anything, fucker.
You all get away with everything! I just tipped the scales closer to even and you deserve it!
You deserve so much worse for what you have done.
“But go ahead and try it. Tell people what you think happened here today.” I gestured to the others.
“Who will believe you? You think anyone will, or will the others in your family take advantage of it? The hyenas will immediately descend, Jason, and we both know it. Other top-tier families. A little girl did what you’ll try to accuse me of? ” I snorted.
“We know you’re a goddess witch,” he tried.
I pulled down the collar of my shirt to show him the top part of my chest and a bit of my cleavage.
“No mark, Jason. That’s where the books say it is.
I’ve been checked. There’s no visible mark on my body.
That’s the rumor among the sexist top-tier men because you cannot fathom a female more powerful than you.
“Because you want to use me as an excuse for more power because of some stupid fucking prophecy. But the reality is you’re weak and lots of us women are more powerful than you.
That’s why you mate us off and beat us. That’s why you trap us and abuse us.
Because you can’t keep up otherwise and have to cheat.
Well, no more fucking cheating, asshole! ”
“Hear hear, Sister,” Jean praised. “Especially after he gave me the offer to become his whore and combine the families before I was taken over by one of our relatives and sold to someone worse.”
I slowly looked at her and then back at Jason and burst out laughing.
I mean it really wasn’t funny—none of this was—but fuck, that was funny.
“You’re a lunatic. Jean is forty times more powerful than you—forty times the man you are and will make the Shaw family thrive.
You’re tanking the Berns family, and everyone knows it. ”
“I do enjoy how blunt you can be,” she admitted. “Honestly, I would prefer a fight though; his younger brother is an even bigger idiot, and I have an in on getting some of the Berns assets for pennies on the dollar then.”
Jason ground his jaw. “Give me my familiar back, bitch, and I’ll let it go.”
Everyone there froze besides several gasps, knowing what I’d done or at least freaking out wondering what he was talking about.
I simply smirked at Jason. “I don’t know what you’re talking about?
How could a college freshman have anything to do with your issues with your familiar?
Big bad male head of the Berns family? Little me did something?
” I beamed at him and leaned in even against Link’s hand.
“What do you top-tier fuckers always say? Prove it?”
“Ms. Millen, I think—” one of the councilmen started to interject, but I turned to Councilman Reid again.
“Jason will undoubtedly weasel out of the full charges of my abduction with some song and dance and blame some lower-ranked family member. Just like they always do and whatever, some fine, and blah blah, but I want it on the record that Link saved me.” I swallowed loudly.
“And Eunice died in the rescue, so he gets full honors.”
Link’s hand squeezed my shoulder, and I reached up and rubbed it.
Then I looked at Jason. “Or do you want to seriously challenge that story and risk the rest of what happened going public?” I scratched his familiar behind the ears just to drive my point home.
“Apparently, the matter is settled,” Jean purred and came over towards me, even going so far as to turn her back on Jason. “I’m glad you’re well.”
“Thank you for coming,” I said honestly.
She glanced at the familiar and then back to me, too much in her eyes. “Yes, well, I’d like some details so I don’t fall in the same trap. Let’s get you out of here and chat.”
I definitely owed her at least that.
“I think a debrief at the council estate is absolutely needed,” Councilman Perry bit out.
Councilman Snyder, who was middle of the road and hated the bullshit, definitely hated the amount of faith everyone was putting in me given my age, interjected. “I think somewhere more neutral and less charged given what happened there. Owen, I hate to impose, but could we?”
“Yes, good shout,” Councilman Reid agreed. “Mr. Berns, expect a summons soon.”
“You know this isn’t what happened, Reid,” Jason seethed. “You’re just as corrupt if you go along with this. No one will—”
Something happened that I never thought to see unfolded right before my eyes and my mouth actually fell open. Councilman Reid fully lost his temper, storming over to Jason Berns and fisting the man’s shirt. He shook him and got in his face.
“Eunice Dupris was one of the kindest souls I have ever met in all my years, you fucking maggot. That kid was pure in a way that is so rare, the world is colder today and you did that. You did. I want your whole family gone for this because our people as a whole were better off because of that kid. All he did was give and you—fuck you.”
He shoved Jason away, hard enough he fell on his ass.
Even Taylor looked shocked in his subdued way.
“He’s right,” Councilman Hanson, of all people, said firmly and gestured between all the council members.
“You just picked the one kid we all adored and showed us how we’ve fucked up.
You wanted to poke us? Well, you did, and now you can tell the others that you’re the reason we’re not fractured anymore. I want your family to burn first.”
He laid down a circle and was gone, conversation over apparently.
Okay then.
I quickly whispered to the familiar that he had to stay for now, but if his master was mean to him, he could run away and find me and I’d take care of him. Jason was seething when he saw his familiar lick my face.
I simply flicked him off.
The moment we arrived at the Reids, one of the councilmen reached for me, but Link easily blocked him, not even looking at him. “Don’t. Just don’t.”
“You’re in enough trouble, kid, don’t make it worse,” he shot right back.
Link slowly looked at him and it worried me. “I’m in enough trouble, so I don’t give a fuck anymore, so don’t lay a finger on her.”
“Enough,” Councilman Oliveria snapped and shoved the other councilman away. “We’re off the clock and clearly this is all personal now. Even Hanson just said Berns united us—the fucking egos. Get inside or—Owen, sorry, where do you want to do this?”
Mr. Reid said the terrace and he would turn on the patio warmers so we didn’t bother anyone inside.
I followed along, but then I locked eyes with one of Winter’s friends and winced.
He quickly shook his head, which I took as Winter didn’t know yet, so I hurried to shoot him a text saying something had happened and I was fine.
And I would explain later and maybe accept a punishment, but I wasn’t sure if I deserved it yet. Either way, I was fine, to finish work, and I’d come by if he wanted as soon as I could.
The response was immediate and yes, come to his room and explain what the fuck that really meant and he was trying to keep his cool.
Valid. There was seriously just always something. I couldn’t even blame him for the anger in the tone of the texts. I felt the same. All I had wanted was to have a chill day, happy that things were back on track with the factory now that I’d rested and realigned my magic some.
Was that really too much to ask?
“Did you do it? Did you really sever the bond with his familiar or did you put it in that bubble like you did with Conrad’s?” Hanson asked me once we were all situated there.
“She’s not answering that, Hanson,” Jean said firmly before I could even think to answer.
He slowly looked at her like she was out of her mind. “I think you should remember—”
“I think you need to remember you’re standing in a house of glass and it’s cracked,” she warned dangerously. “Do not think to lecture me about morality or my position. This isn’t a council hearing, and of anyone here you should not be pushing Bevin for anything. Ever.”
“Agreed,” Clare said firmly as she moved in front of me. “And you’re doing it quickly without Tracey here. Her attorney. Wyatt. Her boyfriend and—”
“I’m in shock,” Hanson snapped. “I didn’t even register her damn boyfriend isn’t here.” He ran his hands through his hair. “But we absolutely need to know what she just did to the head of the Berns family and his familiar.”
“No,” Jean and Clare said together, their voices cold.
“No,” I whispered, agreeing.
“No,” Taylor said after a moment and then shook his head. “Dad, no. Come on, they’re failing the test. Some of them want leverage over her. You know it.”
Jean glanced at him. “I did underestimate you. This is the second time you have seriously impressed me. I’m sorry for the slights I’ve spoken against you even if you’ve never heard them. Yes, that’s what they want. Ammo. Reasons to control her.”
“You’re just confirming it acting like this,” one of the other councilmen snapped. “We know now anyways, and I don’t want it for ammo. It’s a crime and—”
“I’m not confirming it, and you just poked that so I’d get scared and would try to hurry and deny it,” I drawled, moving up to stand with my sisters.
“We’re Shaws, and you’re not scary to us after how we were raised.
And it’s not a crime either way. Physical harm.
Death. The wording is very specific because unprovable accusations could fly around otherwise. ”