Page 5 of Goody Magic Academy: Year Three

I scowled, confusion and frustration battling inside me. “The Solarite ring? What’s that?”

Jaxon’s eyes darted nervously down the corridor again before he leaned in closer, his voice dropping to an urgent whisper. “I can’t explain everything now. You’ve got to go. Now.”

A riot of questions exploded in my mind, each fighting to be asked first. “Jaxon, I can’t leave without my dad. Where?—”

Jaxon’s hand on my arm silenced me, his grip urgent. “Peyton, please. Every second you stay here puts us both in danger. Your father too. I promise, I’ll tell you everything I know when it’s safe.”

I looked over my shoulder at the row of cells, each one a potential prison for the father I’d never known. “Can you at least tell me which one he is in?”

Jaxon’s face fell, frustration and sympathy crossing his features. “Peyton, we can’t bust him out too. I could only break the spell that controlled one cell, and I chose yours.” His words were soft but firm, tinged with regret.

“No! We have to try.” The words burst from me, raw and desperate. “I’m not going to leave my father behind, not when I’ve just learned of his existence.” I spun on my heel and made to race back toward the cells.

Jaxon’s reflexes were quicker than I anticipated and his arms wrapped around me, scooping me up off my feet. “I’m sorry,” he whispered in my ear, his voice pained. In one motion, he tossed me as gently as he could into the torch-lit passage. “Go before it’s too late.”

Adrenaline surging, I scrambled to my feet and charged back toward the opening. Too late. The stone door had slammed shut with a deafening finality. Unable to stop my momentum, I hitit at full speed. Pain exploded through my body as I stumbled back, stars dancing before my eyes.

“Jaxon! Jaxon!!!” I pounded on the door with my fists, panic rising in me. “Jaxon, open up! We can’t just leave him!” My voice cracked with desperation.

My cries echoed off the walls, bouncing back at me as if I was trapped at the bottom of a well. The sound of my own desperation surrounded me, a haunting chorus of fear and regret. The flickering torchlight cast monstrous shadows that reached for me with twisting, grasping fingers.

I leaned against the cold stone, breathing heavily. Alone. I was alone with nothing but Jaxon’s vague instructions and the corridor stretching out before me. And somewhere, behind that impenetrable door, was the father I’d never known—closer than he ever had been, yet utterly out of reach.

Taking a shaky breath, I forced myself to stand. I had to keep moving. For my own survival, for my friends, and now, for the father I was determined to save. With one last glance back at the unyielding door, I turned and began my journey into the unknown.

Chapter

Three

As I took my first hesitant steps forward, I noticed liquid dripping from the ceiling. Lichen, I realized, as the foul-smelling droplets splattered onto the cobblestone floor, forming putrid puddles that I had to sidestep carefully. A bone-deep chill had me in its grip, making my teeth chatter and my arms break out in goosebumps. It felt as if I’d been locked in a freezer for hours, the cold settling into my very core.

My stomach churned with a nauseating mix of fear and uncertainty. I’d be a fool to stand here like a tree waiting to be cut down. I couldn’t waste time worrying about the high priestess discovering what Jaxon had done. The consequences of that discovery loomed large in my mind—she could not only punish Jaxon and me but also...my father.

Lurid images flashed through my mind, each more vivid and horrifying than the last. I pictured myself stripped of the powers I’d only just begun to understand and be able to control. I imagined the high priestess, her face a mask of cold fury, binding my abilities with ancient, cruel magic. My skin crawled to think of that part of me being locked away, leaving me hollow, incomplete.

Then there was Jaxon. Despite our complicated relationship, the idea of him being made to suffer because he’d tried to help me was unbearable. I could almost hear his screams echoing through the stone corridors, could practically see his body writhing under the pain of mystical torments designed to break both body and spirit. The high priestess was known for her creative cruelty, and Jaxon’s betrayal, if it was discovered, would not be taken lightly.

But it was the thought of what she might do to my father that truly threatened to undo me. After years of questions and longing, I’d finally found him—only to put him in mortal danger. The high priestess could snuff out his life as easily as blowing out a candle. Worse, she could keep him alive, subjecting him to agonies beyond imagination, all to punish me. To break me.

The word father still felt strange, almost surreal. I pressed my palms against my temples, trying to will away the throbbing headache that was threatening to form. How long had he been here, locked away in this damp, miserable place? Questions swirled in my mind, but the answers remained frustratingly out of reach.

I clenched my fists and took a deep breath. If I wanted answers, I had to move down this corridor. More than that, I needed help to save Jaxon and my father.

The faces of Rose and Valentin, concerned and determined, flashed in my mind. I felt like I was running toward them in a dream, my arms outstretched, but they kept moving further and further away, their figures blurring at the edge of my vision. The frustration of not being able to reach them made my chest tighten.

They might be able to help! My heart quickened at the thought, a spark of hope reigniting in the darkness of my fears. Rose, with her vast knowledge of ancient lore and her connections to the magical underworld, and Valentin, with hisquiet strength and strategic mind, could be exactly what I needed right now.

Maybe Valentin knew something about this mysterious Solarite ring Jaxon had mentioned, too. The name itself shimmered in my mind, carrying the weight of untold power and secrets. I remembered the way Jaxon’s eyes had widened when he spoke of it, and the blend of awe and fear in his voice. What made this ring so special? So dangerous?

And the other question was, how had Dimitri gotten it? Just his name sent a shiver down my spine. Dimitri, always lurking in the shadows, his motivations as murky as the depths of a stagnant pond. Had the ring belonged to—oh god—the high priestess? The thought made my blood run cold. If he had stolen it from her, the consequences could be catastrophic.

I could almost see it—Dimitri, moving through the high priestess’ chambers like a ghost, his fingers closing around the ring before stealing it away. But why? What could be worth risking the wrath of someone as powerful and merciless as High Priestess Abigail Dixon?

Questions swirled in my mind like leaves caught in a whirlwind, each one leading to another, more complex query. The Solarite ring, Dimitri, the high priestess, my father—I felt they were all connected. But where did I fit in this tangled web of power and secrets?

I closed my eyes, trying to calm the storm of thoughts. When I opened them again, a new resolve had settled over me. I needed answers, and I knew where to start looking for them. Rose and Valentin might be out of reach right now, but the thought of them gave me strength. Whatever secrets lay hidden, whatever dangers lurked in the shadows, I would face them. For my father, for my friends, and for the truth. It was time to unravel this mystery one thread at a time. And I had a feeling that the Solarite ring was the key to it all.

Taking a deep breath that tasted of mold and decay, I began to move, ignoring the protests of my aching muscles. Each step echoing off the walls reminded me how alone I was. Yet with each one, I was moving closer to potential allies, to answers, and to hope.

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