Chapter 4 #2
“The ones the gods bless matter, not insignificant shits like you who think they can lie, cheat, and threaten to get what others deserve. You want to out me? Fine, then your familiar is mine and that power was given to me by a god, Conrad. What you want to do marks your soul and magic. You want a fight? You have it. You just should have made sure you would win.”
“Even I would think the gods didn’t mean for you to use your gifts this way, Ms. Millen,” a different councilman worried.
I opened my mouth to argue but then turned towards Quinn who had switched to Wyatt’s shoulder.
I studied him a moment and smiled. “Apparently not. The guide the gods blessed me with made it clear that if I misuse power it will be taken.” I turned towards the councilman.
“And I can still do what I did to Conrad’s familiar. ”
“You were blessed with the power to put people in a time-out if they won’t use their magic for good,” Mrs. Reid muttered.
“What guide?” Councilman Hanson demanded. “There’s no records of goddess witches having guides or—we must meet them immediately.”
“I don’t answer to you!” I blasted. “Even the gods don’t ask me to check in and answer to them for the powers they have given me.
There is a reason you have barely any information on those like me.
” I gestured to Conrad. “You aren’t to be trusted with it.
You aren’t my parent or family. Who are you to demand to speak with the guide the gods gave me?
“Do you hear your ego? Your completely unhinged and hysterical demands? And I cannot handle myself? I need to be looked over? The power of your position has gone to your head—leaked over to your son’s, and you’re not even apologizing for what he did.
You were turning over a new leaf and saw the man you had become—he had become—”
“Until he saw how powerful he could become after learning about Link,” Tracey muttered, swearing under her breath and understanding the full scope and problems now.
I gave a swift nod and decided to focus on the Reids for the rest since they were on my side but wouldn’t make me feel emotional like the Oliverias.
“I don’t know about others like me. The guide wouldn’t answer that.
I can only speak to my situation. He made it clear that I was…
Baptized by Bé?inn—I don’t know the correct term.
“He couldn’t give me all of the answers because the gods don’t allow it.
” I waited until Councilman Reid nodded.
“But he made it clear that I’m different because I was blessed by other gods as well.
” I nodded when he seemed skeptical. “Hecate herself blessed me.” It was hard not to smirk at Conrad when everyone gasped.
“Several saw me plant the seed of magical life.
“That is not a power of Bé?inn. It’s Hecate’s.
That’s what I was told. That my other powers came from other gods because of my being chosen by Bé?inn and the family I was born to.
” I spun to face Conrad. “That a soul of those former noble families was finally born with the promise to give the magics of this world a chance—a test.”
“And clearly we’re failing,” Councilman Reid worried.
I turned back to him and shrugged, people not hiding their shock.
I sighed. “Do you think the gods are going to give me all of the answers?” I snorted.
“The guide didn’t even have them. I couldn’t even ask about the guide.
I just know he said I’m a test because soon humans will learn about us and the gods don’t know we’re worth helping to survive that. ”
“Okay, Bev, even I’m freaking the fuck out and I was already freaking, so I need you to slow down and explain that to me in crayon-eating terms while I try to remember how to breathe,” Tracey said from behind me.
I turned to face her and gave her a sad smile. “I can’t tell you it all this time. I was warned. Only my priest and any points of my star I mate. That’s it.”
She swallowed loudly. “What can you tell us then? That’s too big of a cliffhanger.”
I nodded. That was fair. “There are too many of us not to get found out. The guide said the gods…” I looked to Wyatt.
“Future generations of witches and warlocks will be exposed and the generations soon,” he said. “Whether they are able to thrive once the humans know or will have to hide in the shadows like the monsters will is up to them, but the gods are divided on if we are worth saving.”
He turned and pointedly stared down Conrad.
“And apparently, the biggest reason is how their previous help has been treated in our society,” he continued firmly.
“Dead or be controlled—forced into a sexual relationship under threat doesn’t sit well with the gods when they bless one of us with gifts to help the rest of us.
Unless you’re too stupid to understand that basic, basic concept in your narcissism? ”
I blinked at him a moment before noting how most there were giving him looks like they were impressed with the size of his balls.
So yeah, I was pretty sure I picked the right person to be my priest after all.