Page 28 of Frayed Owner

“I believe I’m going to be the twentieth or so person to tell you that you’re too hard on yourself, but it will take you time to really hear us,” Mrs. Reid said gently. “And after speaking with Sergey and Nina, youflewthrough their instruction. That was years of teachings. Yes, for children, but you flew through it and are now where a high school freshman would be.”

“Probably sophomore now,” Wyatt corrected.

“So you’ve done well,” Mrs. Reid continued. “You’ve always been academically gifted. I see that in your transcripts and studies. I will be reviewing your independent study this week so no one can call Professor Wyatt into question, and I will have more notes for you. Everything in time, Bevin.”

I settled with that a minute. “So because I don’t have a familiar and my view of magic is different—is that why my magic agitates me? Do you feel that when you’re on the verge of something?”

“No,” Wyatt answered.

“Yes,” Mrs. Reid countered, winking at me. “But not as young as you, so always maybe default to you being a goddess witch.” Again, fair. “And on that note, I think it’s past time you started wearing a muting charm like Tracey does. This will also hide the flavor of your magic. Taylor has always been sensitive to it, and I taught him well even with…”

His lack of magic now. He was practically at nil before I fixed his bond with Cheese. It felt like being mean to say that, but it was the truth.

One his mother wouldn’t want to admit.

“Most think necklaces for magical charms or magical anything,” she told me. “So I had this one specially made with my own magic infused as well. If it’s ever broken off of you, meaning you’re in that type of danger, I will be alerted. You can use your full magic at any time. It’s not muting as in muting your magic. It’s like…”

“An odor eater,” Wyatt muttered, shrugging when I gave him a funny look. “It is. It’s crass, but that’s really what it is. It’s like wearing baking soda on your wrist and no one can sniff out your power level or that you’re blessed.”

“Yes, basically.”

“Cool,” I chuckled as she put it on me with magic. It was a slim, permanent silver bracelet.

“I checked with Morrigan’s regulations. You need to put athletic tape over it in training. If anyone asks, it’s a security bracelet given the threats against you. They are allowed and no one can ask you to take it off. Tell them it is registered with the headmaster if they push you. It is,” she explained.

“Awesome. Thank you. How much do I owe you?”

Something soft filled her eyes as she pushed back some stray hair from my forehead. “You gave me a miracle that I can never repay, Bevin. You owe me nothing in this life and the next.” She blinked back tears. “I am a mother who failed her son and you gave him a chance to heal with this familiar. I’m always in your debt.”

I caught her hand when she went to pull away. “I would have givenanythingto have had a mother who loved me a fraction as much as you love him. You didn’tfailhim. Life and this society are just messed up, Mrs. Reid. The pressure of being a councilman’s son is… You didn’t fail. You never gave up on him, and that’s an amazing mother.”

“I agree because mine wrote me off long ago, and I tried so hard for so long,” Wyatt muttered, swallowing loudly and looking away.

“Thank you to you both.” She sniffled and wiped under her eyes. “Okay then, enough sad topics. You said there was something you wanted to try? What fun are we helping you with?”

I could take the hint, and I wanted the answer as well. I found Taylor’s guy, noting the annoyed look Wyatt gave him but focused on the task. I explained to him what I was doing with the yarn and showed him how to start as I handed him a skein. Then I told Wyatt and Mrs. Reid the truth.

“My magic—it makes me like agitated or like I know there’s more and I’m missing something. Like how I checked the vibe of the brushes. I sort of scan things? I did it with the yarn and…” I sighed and scrubbed my hands over my face. “It felt like it was wasteful to do it alone.”

“Okay, then go ahead and we’ll keep watch and track what’s going on,” she told me, Wyatt nodding as well.

So we did the looping with the whole skein like we were starting a long line of a blanket to crochet… Without the needle. Just with our hands which was a thing now with the huge yarn. It was cool when I saw it on YouTube. But this was for work. I’d done it so many times now that I could do it without thinking or looking.

The guy—not so much. Still, he was trying his best even if he seemed bored.

“I would suggest a more neutral attitude from him even if it’s your magic,” Wyatt drawled at one point. The guy nodded and apologized, muttering he sucked at crafts.

“Pretend this one is for your familiar and you want them comforted. That’s the goal,” I told him.

That seemed to help and we were done in no time. I showed him how to tie it off and handed it over to Mrs. Reid for her to check.

“They’re the same,” she confirmed. “Well done. How do you feel?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but Clare came bursting out the back door. She glanced around before locking gazes with me, panic in her eyes. She raced over and practically tossed her phone at me.

“Someone killed Father’s familiar. It’s all over the news everywhere. It’s confirmed. I guess it was leaked last night by someone who works for us—them, but now it’s—it’s all over.”

My hand shook as I looked over what she was showing me. I had a flash of my saying it would be the best way to take out Charles the other day, but… There was no way. No, that person couldn’t have managed that. Right?

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