I easily hopped a hedge in the backyard from the neighbor’s property, and focused on Conrad’s energy, calling his familiar to me. The dog came quickly and was as big of an asshole as hiswarlock. He wanted to know who I was to dare call him over like I mattered and who he needed to speak to so I was under control.
“You are as disgusting asyourmaster,” I sneered before focusing on my magic. It took a few tries, but then I felt it click.
I felt my panic start to drain from me. I’d done it.
“What did you do, Bevin?” a deep voice asked from behind me. It wasn’t accusatory but scared.
I swallowed a yelp and turned around, not able to see who was there since they were cloaked too, but clearly they could still see me. I backed away, not able to recognize the voice given where my head was.
Then Link appeared. “I put a barrier over both of us, so drop your cloaking. I can sense you, and Isawthe magic of this familiar die. Tell me you didn’t do what I think you just did.”
What he said cut me deep, but I didn’t trust him enough to do as he said. “I would have thought you of all people would have had more faith in me than that, but he would have deserved it if Ihad. I’m tired of promises being made and broken. I’m tired of never feelingsafeand it’s not—”
“We won’t let him hurt you or—”
“He already did,” I bit out. “Or are you going to give me some shit that it’s just a kiss and not to be so sensitive? A man almost twice my age put his hands on me and—”
“Bev, I’m on your side,” he cut in. “But we can’t be here, okay? Undo what you did to the familiar and let’s get out of here.”
I took off my cloaking then and let him see how destroyed I was, themessI was. “You don’t even know what I did and you assume it’s wrong.”
He studied me closely and let out a slow breath. “Not wrong, panicked. You didn’t hurt the familiar and you would leave a way to undo it. You’re scared and rightfully so, but…” He scrubbedhis hands over his head. “It’s hard to have faith when you came right here to Conrad’s familiar instead of asking for help, Bev.”
I chuckled darkly and wiped my eyes. “Yeah, I can’t imagine why I didn’t go for help when that’s what you’re saying. You want me to give you faith after I was failed again and yet you don’t have faith inme.” I felt better when he flinched. “And after all I’ve done for you. Your family. Thecouncil.”
He took a step closer and reached for me, acting like I slapped him when I took a step back.
That actually hurt my heart given how much I’d trusted Link. I looked away from him. “He put his hands on me. Please don’t touch me.”
“I’m so sorry, Bev,” he rasped, his voice cracking. “I’m sorry he did. I’m sorry you were hurt again. We won’t let him get you and do what he wants.”
“I don’t trust that this time. Not when the council has been having secret hearings and meetings about me and what I can do—what I can give to the council.” The horror that immediately filled his face restored some of my faith in him. “You didn’t know.”
He swallowed loudly. “No, but while I don’t want to believe it—I want to have a knee-jerk reaction that you can’t believe Conrad Hanson either.” He held out his hand to me. “What I do know is that Taylor Reid and I agree that we put him in the ground before we let him be one of the points of your star, Bev. I swear it.”
My lower lip quivered as I hoped I could trust him even a little bit. “He said he’ll be my priest and control me. The moment he’s more powerful than the others, he’ll be my priest and own me for the council and they’ll be happy. I can’t do that, Link. I can’t go back to being trapped and owned. I can’t. I just put his familiar in a bubble so he can’t harvest and get stronger.”
A woosh of air came out of Link, relief filling his eyes. “Thank the gods. Okay, yeah, good call, and I get it. A bubble is great. I didn’t know that was an option but—yeah, okay, but let’s get you out of here.”
There was a noise behind me and I went to look what it was, but Link reacted, sliding his arm around me and activating a circle. I didn’t know where he would take me though, and the move seemed overkill.
And that scared me right then.
I shot power into the circle to change it to where my magic knew was safe and I’d circled to a lot. It was something Nina had shown me and a defensive spell that sort of had to be preprogrammed to the person so I didn’t end up cut in half by the other person’s magic.
Or we were transported to the moon or something.
We ended up arriving at the front gates of Morrigan, on opposite sides of it which freaked Link out from his eyes.
But we had other problems because likeallof our media was there and lost their minds when they saw me.
“Bevin, Bevin, when did you seduce Conrad Hanson?” the first shouted.
“How many men are you sleeping with, Bevin?” another yelled.
“Are your promiscuous ways the reason you were kicked out of the Shaw family?” yet another demanded.
“How can you think you’re good enough for a councilman’s son when you’re tainted goods?” another voice shouted.
