24
Wyatt said he would give me a pass on my class and give me all of the lecture notes if we had a study date at my house after classes. It was pushy but actually sweet, so I agreed knowing he would have let me off even if I hadn’t wanted to do it.
Apparently, Rita got super into the idea and fun going all out to plan the “party.” Her team were there with all the supplies since they’d gotten passes from security when I’d alerted them I was doing something to start off the Wicked Challenge.
And some of their familiars might be involved and to please not beat me. That made a few of them amused… Mostly because they didn’t believe I would do anything to their familiars.
I warned them. If they had bird familiars, they would find out.
We did six long folding tables but only one with chairs and all different types like in the movie. That one was seriously awesome with mismatched tea sets and everything from Goodwill hodgepodge. It was awesome.
The tablecloths were different colors and then the other tables just had inexpensive glass plates in a variety of colors. They weren’t on top of each other, but it was meant to have a lot because even if there weren’t a ton of bird familiars on campus—which I thought there were—there were a lot of birds.
Plus, not all the bird familiars would get free to come here. It wasn’t like they all sat outside. They were in their witch or warlock’s room.
One of the witches I’d saved actually had a huge rabbit familiar, so I’d talked her into joining and promised her something special for her familiar. She promised she’d come in a bright dress and wear bunny ears for the fun.
Even better.
Everything was ready before breakfast service started, and I raced to change into my Alice in Wonderland costume, laughing that Rita made sure to get me a nice one.
Winter was there when I came back and he was dying of laughter. I thought it was because Teddy was trying to find a place to sit, but then I saw it was Nigel… Dressed as the Mad Hatter.
Complete with the crazy orange wig.
He didn’t do the full face of white makeup, but he did a bit around the eyes.
“You are awesome!” I squealed and bounced over to him. “Seriously, you are so awesome. I cannot believe you dressed up to do this with me!”
“I didn’t want you to feel silly doing it alone, and you invited me to join you,” he said with a shrug.
“You helped me through all of this and listened to me.” I bumped his shoulder with mine. “I’m going to talk to whoever is in charge of the points. You should get some for helping so much. You worked like a beast for this, and it means a lot.”
“I just want you safe, and it was nice to spend time with you,” he replied shyly.
Which made me feel shy.
“Now I feel like a dick for laughing,” Winter grumbled.
I ignored him and checked everything was ready before letting out a whistle focused on all the bird familiars. I’d never pushed hard before on my magic, but between Quinn, Woodchuck, Bubba, and a few others harvesting for me this weekend, I had the magic to try.
Instantly, I felt the connection with the bird familiars I’d called before, and then it was like layers of more and more feeling my call. It was a lot of magic, and I needed to sit down after I did it.
And a fox hopped right onto my lap when I did.
“Of course you were joining,” I chuckled, shaking my head and still petting Quinn.
The witch I’d saved, Gloria, showed up in a bright pink dress with her familiar wearing a suit jacket. I laughed and thanked her for coming.
“You are so extra, girl, and I love it,” she chuckled as she sat down where I told her with the rabbit treat.
“Only give her one,” I said firmly. “For now, one every couple of days. They have magic.”
She opened her mouth to respond, but the first of the bird familiars arrived. I jumped up and started giving them love, telling them where they could sit and setting out the right treat for them.
“You need to tell me which are familiars you’ve called, Ms. Millen,” Wyatt said from behind me. “Also, don’t bend over since I’m taking video for the record of this.”
I glanced over my shoulder and he gave a half shrug as he gestured to the length of my skirt.
Fair enough. And he was holding up his phone, so that was nice of him to come help. I thought he was only giving me a pass from his class.
Then again, I was silly because of course he would come see the show.
And he wasn’t the only one… Including one very pissed-off dean.
Because his familiar was a bird.
Shit.
Luckily, the headmaster arrived at the same time.
“The faculty isn’t off limits,” the headmaster reminded him.
I went to explain my prepared speech since enough people were gathered, but two large bird familiars arrived and were about to start problems. “Do not bully or steal treats. You will get none if you’re rude or mean. Sit at an empty spot and I will give you your own treat, if you please.”
I went to the containers and picked out what they should be eating and brought it over to them, reminding them that they couldn’t just eat anything. I gave them love and turned back to the people waiting.
“What did you just give my eagle, Ms. Millen?” the dean seethed.
“A frozen treat of fish parts,” I told him as I brought one over to him from the cooler. “It’s all safe for an eagle.” I smiled at the headmaster. “That’s how I did what I did in Professor Wyatt’s class. I know people are still talking about it and all the whispers and—it’s an old Millen family recipe. Except it’s meant for people.”
“People?” he chuckled, glancing around at the familiars.
I nodded. “Grandfather tried to teach it to me when I was a child, but I did it with his familiar’s bird feed. That’s why I knew how to call all the bird familiars in class. I had treats in my pocket I let them smell and slipped them or promised to give them later.” I gestured around to the proof.
Several more arrived along with their witches and warlocks racing after them worried where they had headed to. I got them settled and enjoying their treats before going back over to the headmaster.
“Grandfather saw the potential in this and helped me sell some to friends of his. It was a business I created but abandoned when he died. He was going to build it up for me so I could get free of my family, but he invested the money for me. All these years later and…” I shrugged. Yeah, I had money.
“That explains a lot,” he said, his tone even, but I saw the amusement in his eyes.
I nodded but then focused on the dean, waving for him to give me the treat back. I frowned when he didn’t. “You got one for free for Wicked Challenge points. That costs money, and I wanted to make a splash because the president of Familiar Treasures is on campus and I want her attention.”
The dean blinked at me. “You’re using this as a business opportunity? ”
I grabbed the treat while he was distracted. “Who said I can’t multitask? I’m also making it clear that people would be stupid to mess with me because a lot of people want to target me because I was a Shaw.” I gestured around to all the happy familiars that I called. “Some were whispering that I had dark magic to do what I did in class. I don’t. So I’m handling a lot today, Dean.”
I was interrupted again by a dozen familiars arriving. I was shocked that no normal birds were starting trouble, but then I saw Rita and her people had set up the cubes out further from the tables and were giving that to normal birds… While Julie was overseeing everything.
Good owl. I was glad I had something special for her.
“Everyone who has had their familiar come here and receive a treat has to check in,” Professor Wyatt announced loudly. “Some are going to leave once their treat is done and we can’t have repeats. Only one treat per familiar! It’s magical, and if you lie about that, that’s on you and not points deducted from Ms. Millen or her getting into trouble.”
“We also need to know what type of familiar in case they come back so there’s not an issue,” Winter added, standing next to him with a notebook.
That was smart and I hadn’t thought of that.
“I was curious if I could share points with the people who helped?” I asked the headmaster. “Nigel helped me put this whole idea together and is in costume too for the prank. Winter, Kelton, and Sergey helped me get the treats made this weekend.”
“Very fair of you, Ms. Millen,” the headmaster praised. “Let’s see what your total comes in at and then we can give them a small amount of your points.”
“She’s at over thirty already,” Wyatt informed him, nodding to the two loaded tables.
I saw a huge group arrive and rushed to get them treats and talk to them before problems started. Apparently, word was spreading around campus and people were just letting their familiars come get something magical that was free.
“I heard you wanted my attention, Ms. Millen, and you have it,” Tracey said once I finished with another large group about ten minutes later.
I turned around to face her and had to do the best acting of my life to pretend we weren’t well acquainted. I pulled out one of the treats from the container I’d been holding and walked over to her.
“You can take this to the owner and they can scan it for the magic to see it’s legit. I want a contract with Familiar Treasures, my company under their umbrella with their branding on the treats even. I don’t care about that part, but I’m not selling the spell, and you need me for the magic in the treats since not everyone can do magic with animals. The owner probably knows that.”
She smirked at me as she took the treat. “Yes, it’s a rare talent to have magic focused on animals. That’s why so many have tried to copy our toys and always land on their faces with garbage.” She held out her hand and I felt her magic scanning it. She threw back her head and laughed. “You’re good, kid. Really good. I heard about the stunt you pulled in Wyatt’s class.”
I shrugged. “I don’t like bullies. My former family tended to have bird familiars, so I’m well-versed in those treats, but I’ve started to branch out and they’ve been working so far.”
“Seriously, is there crack in whatever you gave my familiar?” a warlock demanded as he stormed over to me. “My familiar is going nuts—I want to know the spell you used immediately or—”
“Or what?” I drawled. “The Wicked Challenge started. You’re not bullying me into getting the spell as I’m standing here talking to the president of Familiar Treasures making a deal.”
“‘Making a deal?’” Tracey chuckled under her breath, acting like she appreciated my confidence. “That you are, kid.”
I glanced at the dean. “And that’s also why I did it like this.” I gestured to the warlock as if it wasn’t clear enough what I meant.
He nodded, glancing around before looking at Tracey. “I suggest you consult with an attorney before you sign anything, Ms. Millen. You are wise and talented, but you’re young, and that’s something people take advantage of. I also want to know when your treats come on the market because my familiar is elated and already harvesting rapidly for me. Well done.”
“Thank you, sir.” I beamed at him before turning back to Tracey. “Yes, I think we’re making a deal, don’t you?”
She ran her tongue over her teeth but was also smiling as she glanced behind me. “Yeah, I think we’re going to make a deal and fast before someone snatches you up, Ms. Millen.” She extended her hand to me and I accepted it. “And your dean is right, you should have your advisor look over the offer I’ll put together. He probably knows an attorney you can trust.”
“I do,” Wyatt confirmed. “She’s up to fifty familiars that she called. She’s doubled the record of any prank for the Wicked Challenge and she’s a freshman. Unreal.”
I smirked at Tracey. “My treats are just that good.”
She gave me a subtle wink but then went around the tables to see more for herself.
I ended up getting over a hundred and twenty-five familiars. I shattered the previous record of a legendary master’s student… Wyatt. I hadn’t even known that and he didn’t care one bit. He thought it was awesome.
I asked him later why he never told me, and he said he didn’t want to make me nervous or make me feel like it was a competition. It wasn’t and it was about my safety.
Plus, he knew what I was, and he didn’t feel lacking when I was a different level than him.
That was… Very evolved of him actually.
Cool.
Rita and her team promised to clean everything up and handle it so I was on time for class but in costume. I simply shrugged when several people chuckled.
And Quinn immediately jumped onto my lap.
I sighed. “I didn’t get to eat breakfast, and I’m tired of you being so ill-behaved, Quinn.”
Wyatt snickered. “You gave him the treats that made him obsessed with you. I have a feeling you’re going to have a lot more familiars stalking you besides the ones you’ve tested new recipes on.”
I simply rolled my eyes and told Quinn to go back to his pillow. But I was impressed with Wyatt’s quick thinking. That gave everyone a plausible reason why Quinn was like that with me. Most might still think Wyatt was the one who took my purity or we were involved, but they probably wouldn’t care or left it at he was tight with Winter.
I wasn’t sure and I wasn’t sure I really cared.
I was glad it went well and we had another layer of protection in place. Getting out in front of everything was better than always playing defense for sure.
After classes, Wyatt and I went home, but instead of starting my power assessment, he wanted to work with me on some of what Sergey was teaching me. I needed to get caught up faster on the basics or I was really going to tank my first test in Spell Circles 101 next week. So he was handling everything I needed there.
I appreciated it more than he knew.
That was where Tracey found us a few hours into our studying.
“You were right,” she said firmly, giving me a worried look. “Your father had some sort of plan or something up his sleeve.”
“What happened?” I whispered, a cold dread flushing over me.
“He showed up to the High Council and filed a lawsuit that you had to turn over the spell and everything else you learned that is his since you are as well and they had to rescind the disownment,” she answered, nodding when I couldn’t hide my annoyance. “They tossed it. Councilman Oliveria called me just so I heard it directly from them.”
“There’s more,” Wyatt guessed, studying her closely.
She nodded, her gaze locked with mine. “He contacted me directly through Familiar Treasures. He threatened me—said I’d be dead if I dared to make any sort of deal with a Shaw that didn’t involve him because he owned you. That’d he bury me and the owner where we’d never be found if we were so stupid to even think of getting into business with you.”
“I’m so sorry, Tracey,” I rasped as tears filled my eyes. “I never thought—I didn’t consider—”
“Yeah, I didn’t think your dad would go that nuclear either,” she accepted, trying to act with her normal Tracey bravado, but I saw she was scared. She hid it well, but I knew her better than most. “I told him that I was recording the call when he identified himself, so I have the proof, plus I put it on speaker with other people around, but… He’s fucking snapped.”
“I didn’t remotely think—what was he planning that he doesn’t want me to have protection that badly?” I whispered, terrified down to my bones.
“I think it’s more that you’ve gone viral and ‘embarrassed’ him,” Wyatt muttered, looking over his phone. “I posted that there’s a new star at Morrigan who outdid my legendary prank, and there are a ton of comments that the Shaws are idiots to think you were a dud and you were the rockstar they let go. Some are saying you’re way better than Alex even.”
“Oh fuck,” I whispered. “I never—I was so busy thinking of how to protect myself that I didn’t take into account how many people would want to poke any wound the Shaws show.” I covered my face and gave a wordless scream, so upset with myself for making this all worse. “I don’t even know what to do now or how to handle this madness anymore!”
I let Wyatt comfort me but hated myself a bit that I constantly needed it. I was so weak and such a damn clueless guppy that it was embarrassing.
Really, really embarrassing.