Chapter 4
“Why is he free and not restrained?” I demanded, glancing around and meeting Councilman Reid’s gaze. “Why is he just standing here like he has a vote in any of this? There should be charges filed and—”
“You weren’t here to file the charges and we were informed this was all a teenage, hysterical blowup,” he told me, his voice tired. “And how you handled things with the media made it clear that it was why you needed a trusted priest named to handle what you couldn’t be trusted with.”
Conrad was bound on his knees and gagged in my next breath, my magic so much easier to call now that I was aligned with Wyatt.
I met Councilman Hanson’s gaze and didn’t hide my rage.
“You promised me that you saw that he was disgusting and like the criminals you put away. You promised you would handle this, but you didn’t. Now you want to leash me?
“Well, that’s not happening. Not ever. I’d rather drink bleach than let someone you pick lead me around by the nose, especially someone as vile as that filth over there.
” I glanced at Taylor. “I thought there was a witness? Why is this up for debate and some sort of he said, she said? We have confession magic and—”
“You know why so time to throw down,” he bit out, shooting a death look at those standing with the Hansons. “I asked you to give your all for this war, but I never thought it would start inside the council, but that’s where we are.”
“So be it,” I hissed, completely disgusted. I glanced at every councilman in turn. “Pick a side. Right now, and I’ll know if you’re lying.”
“I agree we can’t just force you to mate who we want, but you cannot order us around either, Ms. Millen,” one snapped.
“No, I can’t, but here is the line in the sand. Pick a side of this—everyone and on the record, doing it honestly, or I’m out. Familiar Treasures is out and we publicly state Conrad Hanson forcing an eighteen-year-old to date him and demanding sexual favors is the reason.”
I didn’t even see Winter, Sergey, Kelton, and even Nigel there until they tried to get at Conrad.
Whoops?
“Enough!” Councilman Snyder of all people shouted. He was right in the middle of where people stood on the council. He wasn’t like Hanson, but he wasn’t all in like the Reids either.
And he mostly kept his mouth shut and stayed out of things, treating being on the council like a job…
Which it wasn’t and he was kidding himself.
He was the oldest of the council members and the closest to retiring—probably wanted to, but that left trouble since the top-tier families wanted one of theirs on the council.
“No, I will speak now,” he snapped when someone told him to hold on. He moved towards me and let out a heavy breath. “I’m not a fan of you dividing us when we need to work together, Ms. Millen. I think you know my position fairly well.”
“Yes, but the problem is staying silent is troublesome as Hanson and Perry think you agree with them,” I told him firmly, glad when he physically recoiled at the idea.
“This could have been handled better,” he stated, his tone still bitter.
“Yesterday, I would have said that as well,” I countered.
“But today, I was informed there have been sealed hearings about me being a goddess witch and more. Recorded hearings that Conrad and others probably have access to. So the writing is now on the wall, Councilman. I won’t die for greed.
I might die in this war, but I won’t take friendly fire. ”
He studied me for several tense moments.
“Nor should you.” He let out a long breath.
“Yes, we had two—I’m not sure I would call them hearings, but notes were taken just like anytime we convene.
The fact Conrad knows about this infuriates me, and if he truly saw anything, then I’m with Oliveria and it’s time for changes. ”
I nodded, not giving my ace away yet. “Now you understand why we’re where we’re at. Please make your position clear to the others.”
“You will hold it against me,” he said, not thrilled about it.
“No, I won’t.” I shrugged when he raised an eyebrow. “I don’t find fault with your logic. I think your reservations are rather fair, and most importantly, you’re open to changing your opinion with new evidence. You’re also honest that you’re sexist. I put you in the camp of being on my side.”
“I’ll take you at your word then, Ms. Millen.
” He turned to stand next to me and faced the others.
“I have reservations with entrusting the brewing war to an eighteen-year-old.
Yes, girl, but I would a boy as well. She was a Shaw—there is a list, and too many are losing their damn heads that she is the answer. She is not.
“She is…” He huffed. “I cannot deny the change in Link. I have hope that she—Laura Reid is a suitable mentor. Clearly, I am biased since Familiar Treasures thrives. I worry about the growth too fast and us tying our fates to it. However, she is a person, and we are not assigning the points of her star like she’s a mare.
“She is not ours to manage. The way some of you speak of her like she’s your familiar or new pet disgusts me to my soul.
This has gone too far, and if it takes more men on their side for sanity to return to some of the people here, then figure it out.
” He turned to Tracey. “My suggestion would be to stop allowing everyone at your home. It has blurred the lines.”
“I agree, thank you, Councilman. I agreed with Mrs. Oliveria that charging would have made the boundary clear since others have home offices or their businesses there, but things have escalated. Because of one, but now that there was a chance, others aren’t hurrying to denounce it.”
And that was the problem. Five of them wouldn’t start the problem, but they would side with Conrad if they got the result they wanted which was me under their control. I thought we’d made more progress than that, but after they saw the power I’d “given” Link… The greed came back in their hearts.
That was the nicest way I could say it.
And five of thirteen was way too many. The others said their piece and I outed the sixth.
“Be honest,” I told him. “You side with me because you actually have faith in my intelligence to be CEO of such a successful business and figure I have an ace up my sleeve. You really want me under control though and think the council should rule Wyatt isn’t fit—no one I pick is fit until it’s someone you think you can control. ”
He opened his mouth to lie but then slowly looked at his familiar and cursed under his breath knowing he was busted.
I pointed for him to join the others. Six of thirteen—so half.
“We were at only four and doing better, but now I’m being punished because of what I helped Link achieve.” I focused on Link, glad he was shocked at least. “It’s all about power and how much you’ve jumped. They want control of that—to control who I will allow to become more powerful like that.”
“I’m sorry, Bev,” he whispered, his voice cracking.
“Me too.” I let out a shaky breath and pulled out my phone, playing the recording I took of what happened with Conrad…
While smirking at him. “You are a petty, vindictive asshole like you said, but you are a fool.
Hurrying to announce it was a stupid move.
Trying to rally after you were caught was a worse move because you underestimated me.
“I was raised with snakes, Conrad. If you can’t have me, you’d have me dead?
Oh no, I’ve never faced that before.” I rolled my eyes.
“My parents wanted to sacrifice me at seven, so you should have tried another fucking threat.” I smiled evilly at him.
“So, you played your hand, but now here’s mine. ”
I gestured to those standing on my side, physically even since we were split in the room.
“You were wrong on where people would land. I have the majority.” I went over to him and squatted down in front of him, being a brat and booping his nose as his eyes filled with rage and my death.
“My ‘emotional outburst’ to the media wasn’t emotional nor on a whim.
It was calculated because it gave you an inch to try and exploit.
“And that bad move led us here to a very loud response to what you did so the next idiot doesn’t try for the same next.” I booped his nose again. “You may be almost double my age, but one of us is actually smarter and more experienced handling these matters because I grew up as a Shaw.”
I held out my right hand and wiggled it.
“You were so busy being distracted by what I did with the media, pleading your case and running your mouth about my ignorance, you completely missed my play. Yours was to show up and put your disgusting hands on me, threaten me and make it clear that I’m yours or I’m dead.
So sure I have no play or way to fight back because I’m just a na?ve little girl. ”
I pushed to stand and backed away, wiggling my left hand out in front of me.
“I wonder what I was doing while you were distracted?” I mocked. I tilted my head and winked at him. “Why don’t you ask your familiar?” I framed my face with my hands and smiled when he frowned and then horror filled his eyes. “You can’t, can you? You can’t even feel him, right?”
“You didn’t, Bevin,” Mrs. Oliveria begged.
“His familiar is fine,” I promised, not willing to let her worry that I’d gone evil, not even for a second.
“And what I did is reversible but only by me.” I squatted down again so we were at the same eye level.
“Because the gods chose me, Conrad. Not you. You’re no one. Oh, wow, born of powerful parents.”
I gestured around the room.
“There are a few dozen of us here with that on our resume.” I bounced towards him and booped his nose again. “But we do something with our lives. You just ride those coattails of your father thinking it will help you break rules and laws at every turn.”
I stood and spat on him.