Page 20 of Novice Girlfriend

“Before we move on to anything else, I’m going to overstep and involve myself in Familiar Treasures business but solely to help Bevin,” Mrs. Reid interjected, shocking everyone… Except me. I’d had a feeling she was going to bring up what had happened the day before in this way.

And it was smart.

She was.

Hiding my power in something simple like a bazillion comfort blankets for familiars was smart. It would push me and allow me to grow, not slowing down the expansion of treats even.

Tracey and I stared at each other a while when Mrs. Reid was done. “You’re thinking what I am?”

Tracey chuckled. “Probably. You want to make a point with this.”

I smirked at her. “You don’t?” I frowned when she was hesitant. “You don’t.”

“She doesn’t want any more danger around you, poppet,” Mrs. Oliveria worried. “Tell us what you’re both thinking and maybe we can help.”

Tracey was still hesitant, so I snitched. “We—I want to make this about more witches who are powerful and have awesome magic but haven’t been able to show it because they weren’t supported.” I gestured to Jasmine. “Law secretary at one of our firms, right?

“And you’re inspiring witches all over the place—kicking ass and taking names. Tracey is. Nina. I am even as a student. Mrs. Reid is being talked about as a role model on campus, not just a councilman’s mate.”

“Ouch, Bev,” Clare mumbled.

“But she’s not wrong,” Mrs. Reid graciously accepted. “But I agree because the magic—people will sense it’s not a lot, but specialized. It’s something even Professor Wyatt could have figured out if he had been pushed the right way. Anyone with an affinity towards familiars or—it’s easier to hide in this one.”

“And it can’t hurt anyone. It’s comfort or not,” I added. “Nothing that can be mocked or whatever.” I searched Tracey’s eyes. “And the materials aren’t expensive. The magic isn’t a lot like the toys. We could give a hundred away to start to kids in the orphanages to help their familiars.”

“Of course that’s where your mind went, Bev,” Winter whispered, his voice touched. “You said that before, but you were worried.”

“I still am, but it could shine some light on those places.”

Tracey and Clare both flinched, Clare responding. “You want to take a shot at Hughes going there and preying on kids.”

“Yes.”

“Dammit, Bev,” Tracey hissed.

I gave a half shrug. “Any drama with them gets the focus off me, and let the top-tier families all eat each other. There are two families who have companies that handle familiars and Hughes is going around them. Even loop in Jean and let her go on the offensive telling others so they eat each other and we have less to fight later.”

“You really were always ready for war,” Taylor said with an impressed chuckle. “Yeah, I’ll talk to your sister. That’s smart.”

“Dangerous but smart,” Wyatt agreed. “And I agree on the blankets. They only give comfort. I would also have something on social media where people with injured familiars could apply to be a test case.”

“We don’t want to take the time to test,” Tracey countered. “But it’s a smart thing to handle with the media. We want—I have this.” She sighed and met my gaze. “I have this. If it’s what you want, I got you, Bev.” She tapped the table when I went to move on. “But don’t for one second think I don’t know what you’re doing, kid.”

I flinched. “It’s not mutually exclusive.”

“I’m confused,” Mr. Reid admitted, finally saying something really.

“Bevin’s taking care of the target Tracey put on herself,” Taylor surmised correctly. “She wants it to be the list of talented witches at Familiar Treasures bucking the system, not just the owner and Tracey, and they only all know Tracey and she shields the owner.”

I met his gaze. “You’re worth the hype and rep you have. Seriously, you must have been aces in the military, and I get why every one of your people has absolute faith in you. They believe in you more than anything. More than the council or the gods. I’m starting to understand why.”

I swore the large man blushed.

“How could…” Mr. Reid snickered. “Right, you hear it all from their familiars. Wow, Son. Well done.”

Taylor cleared his throat and didn’t look like a hard-ass man for a moment, but a kid getting praise from his dad. “I had a good role model. The system and other councilmen failed you, Dad. Never you.”

I felt like I was intruding on their moment, but I also needed to get a lot done in these meetings because they were all busy. Plus, I tended to lose my nerve fast. “I have an idea, and I wanted to run it by you both as councilmen since you know them best. There’s going to be pushback that I’m not doing sessions this week.”