Page 38 of Frayed Owner

“Don’t play with me, Bevin. I’ve been doing this longer than you and—”

Actually, if she had been, she would have caught the lie. The only way it worked was because she listed three things, and I did actually want people to know I was the owner. It would make my life easier in a lot of ways to stop keeping all the secrets.

But realistically, I knew it was a stupid move still.

“I have no mark on my body, Jean,” I chuckled, folding my hands on my lap and smirking at her. “The council has already addressed this.” I clucked my tongue when she went to argue. “You think if Father received a vision that I was a goddess witch he wouldeverhave let me go and not drained my magic for himself?”

Clare and Jean both froze, Clare taking the bait. “What vision?”

I kept Jean’s gaze. “You need to revisit your studies or should have paid better attention to them. One of the parents—normally the strongest I believe—receives a vision from the god or goddess blessing the witch or warlock. Verify it. It’s real. So is the mark I don’t have on my body. Fuck, search me.” I held my hands out to say I had nothing to hide.

Jean studied me a moment and I saw the anger return. She believed me.

Good.

“You’re still the owner of Familiar Treasures and I have the proof so don’t even deny it.”

“I’m not going to, but outing me for that isn’t enough of a threat to ever make me come back to the Shaw family and certainly not underyourcontrol, Jean,” I told her firmly. “Plus, I don’t know that I believe you have proof. I think you took a stab in the—”

“Oh, I don’t bluff, Bevin,” she purred. “Hell, I’m one of your shining examples of how well your products work.” That victory was back in her eyes. “You weren’t all that careful with your email when you were younger. And your password? Clarence1234? How silly. A stupid frog was your best friend—”

“Well, with such wonderful older siblings who were so good to me and nutfuck parents, how weird ofmeto like animals more,” I drawled. I snorted. “You really are Charles Shaw.”

“I am nothing like Father,” she snapped. “I didn’t cheat and—”

“You areadmittingto stealing right now. You just didn’t kill to steal magic,” I chastised. “You stole one of the toys. You read my emails instructing—” I jumped when the door banged open and Tracey came strutting in.

“Ahh, there’s my baby sister’s guard dog,” Jean greeted. “I look forward to working with you in the future. We’re going to—”

Tracey already had her muting charm off and the whole room became flooded with power. Clare gasped, but I was used to this, my own power quickly catching up with how hard I was working and all of the harvesting others were doing for me now.

“I assume you wear your own to have survived that house and if you were stealing our lessons, so let’s see if you were as good of a student as you want to rub in yoursister’sface,” Tracey taunted. “Or did you steal a toy from achildand break into her email and not even—”

Her taunting worked and Jean took off her own muting charm. The room filled with her power as well, looking confident.

But then Tracey laughed.

Hard.

“Ahhh, reading emails really isn’t the same as Bevin’s guidance. Plus, nature really likes people with pure intentions, and you’re just as evil as Charles,” Tracey said firmly. She reeled her power in but leaned on the back of the couch across from me, her gaze drilling into Jean’s. “But see the truth in my eyes. Do you see that I absolutely believe what I’m going to say?”

“Yes,” Jean confirmed after a moment and studying her aura.

“I will kill you to protect Bevin. I don’t care the—”

“Tracey,” I hissed.

“Shut it, kid,” she chuckled, still focused on Jean. “I will kill you. I will die for her. See the truth. I will take it that far because I love her.Iam her big sister, and you are the psychopath who wants to use her. I won’t ever allow that, and I can bring you way too much fucking pain. You might win in the end, but I’m fine with blowing us both up. Are you?”

I’d never seen Jean look nervous. She swallowed loudly but then turned to me.

“Don’t look at her,” Tracey blasted. “Don’t try and make her feel guilty. This is my decision. This is what Henry asked of me and I accepted. Youknowhow needed her magic is in our world. She was akidwhen she made those first toys, and that is to be protected, Jean. I don’t—I will end you and the whole Shaw family to keep that in our world.”

“I believe you, but I don’t think you have the power or reach to do it,” Jean told her.

“No, but I do,” I told Jean as I stood. “I have no problem blowing up your world as well. I would do it just because it would keep Tracey safe and I love her.”

“Sit back down, Bevin,” Jean seethed. “We’re not done talking.”

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