“If that’s what you think, but… You know where we stand,” I warned.
“I do and you are clearly not to be trifled with,” she chuckled darkly gesturing to the Reids and Oliveria’s who came because I wanted help.
Glad she understood that.
I was really,reallyglad she understood that.
17
The “present” wasn’t really all that great. I was being mentored by Mrs. Reid Sunday morning after my long run and Clare came flying out of the house with her phone in hand, a cloud of worry all around her.
I didn’t even ask, thanking her and taking the phone to play the video.
Then I just sighed.
Heavily.
The Shaw family healer had gone on the record saying that I’d been under his care since birth and he knew for a fact that I didn’t have the mark of a goddess witch. There was no hiding that from him nor my parents when I’d been a baby or toddler—children wouldn’t have known to hide that.
It wasn’t there, and he would stake hisesteemedreputation on that.
Fine, that was great. Truly helpful to undo what Conrad had tried to unleash on my life... If the idiot had stopped there.
“I will say—and this isn’t from the Shaw family but my own personal feelings—that I believe Bevin Shaw can speak to animals,” he continued, excited to have the audience.
It made sense because he was supposedly some talented healer my father had bragged about snatching up. Then he treated sniffles and boo-boos for an elite family, knowing itwould be his head if he ever tried to leave their employment. The man probably longed for the chance to get attention.
Miscalculated that one, Jean.
But he went on.
“Her parents thought for a time that she was hiding her familiar in the indoor arboretum because she spent so much time in there with the animals. They had an expert come in and test the animals to make sure none were familiars when Bevin wasn’t in the home. She spent an unusual amount of time in there.”
“That’s a bit of a jump,” a man’s voice countered in a dismissive tone. “Women are known to love animals.”
Shit. That made the healer bristle, and he doubled down.
“Yes, of course, and a young girl would be enamored with the wildlife the Shaws had in their estate’s oasis.However, she has shown immense talent working with familiars who areanimals, sir. These treats for Familiar Treasures. Confirmed reports she, as afreshman,can call familiars away from younger witches andwarlocks.
“That’s not normal, and I can see how some would jump to her being a goddess witch, but I know she is not. I’m giving you a viable theory. Women are known for being more in touch with nature. I believe most of the documented magics who can speak to animals are witches. It’s not my field though.
“I also saw her spending time with other familiars of the estate. There were a few familiars of guards who particularly liked her when the warlocks themselves all looked down on her thinking she was a magical null. So looking at the puzzle, this is the picture I see as a trained diagnostician. Can I be sure? No. Do I feel confident in what I’m saying? Yes. Very much so, yes.”
“Thanks for letting me know,” I told Clare as I handed back her phone.
She cleared her throat. “I feel like this might be overstepping, but now I’m curious.”
I met her gaze. “No, I’ve never had a familiar. Yes, I talked to the animals in there all of the time. It was how I stayed ahead of Charles and Rebecca. Even Alex and his moods sometimes. They were my only friends.”
Her eyes filled with pity. “Sorry, I should have specified.”
“We both want to know if you were aware your parents suspected you had a familiar,” Mrs. Reid clarified.
“Oh, no, that was news to me,” I admitted but then frowned. “But it does fit. There was a man—Rebecca kept taking me out of the house and that was the first time. It was always Grandfather, never them. They got annoyed when he took me anywhere public. She—but there was a man, and I remember him coming out of the arboretum.”
I shrugged. What else was there to say? It wasn’t that big of a deal and certainly the least of what my birth parents had done against me. Searching for my familiar to try and control me?
Yeah, so? When they had wanted to sacrifice me.
