Page 12 of Goody Magic Academy: Year Three

Rose’s fingers moved faster, almost frantically, through the pages. The soft rustle of paper on paper filled the room, punctuated by her sharp intake of breath each time she thought she might have found something useful followed by a disappointed sigh when she realized she was mistaken.

The air in the room grew thick with tension. Each creak of the building, each noise from outside, made me flinch. Time seemed to stretch and yet compress simultaneously, the urgency of our situation warring with the painstaking process of searching through the ancient tome for the perfect spell.

I found myself holding my breath, my gaze fixed intently on Rose’s face, searching for any sign of discovery or defeat. The fate of all of us hung in the balance, within those fragile, time-worn pages.

“Ah! Here it is.” She smiled. “I knew Father would have it. He was a very powerful witch.”

Rose’s eyes lit up as her finger traced a line of text. She cleared her throat and began to read aloud, her voice gaining strength and conviction with each word:

“Guardians four, of fur and scale,

Heed this call through mystic veil.

By pale moon’s light and stars above,

Shield these souls we dearly love.

Midnight’s bark in distant space,

Ivory’s hop across the lawn

Scales of Zephyr and Ember’s grace

In realms unseen, keep them from harm,

Protected by this shielding charm.

Blood of witch and dragon’s fire,

Weave a ward that none can tire.

Until we call them back to sight,

Keep them safe through day and night.

By witch’s will and magic’s might,

This spell I cast to set things right!”

As Rose finished speaking, I saw a soft shimmer ripple through the air. The room fell silent for a moment, then a gentle warmth spread through my chest. I could almost feel Midnight’s comforting presence, distant but safe.

Twyla let out a shaky breath. “Thank you. I know Ivory’s all right. I can feel it.”

Bellona, who had been sitting quietly at Rose’s feet, let out a soft meow. Rose bent down to scratch behind her ears, a look of relief on her face.

“So… Did it work?” Finn asked, his voice hushed with a mix of hope and disbelief.

Rose nodded slowly, a small smile tugging at her lips. “I think so. I can feel a connection to the others... They’re okay. They’re somewhere else now. Somewhere safe.”

I let out a breath and placed my hand over my chest, knowing my little girl was safe from the high priestess’ clutches. “Me too. It’s like...like Midnight’s just out of reach but protected at the same time.”

Kamaron and Twyla smiled, relief evident on their faces.

Jaxon’s lips curled into a sardonic smirk. “Well, isn’t that touching,” he drawled, his eyes darting to the door. “Now that your little pets are safe, maybe we can focus on not getting ourselves killed?” He rapped his knuckles sharply on the spell book. “That shifting spell isn’t going to find itself, and I’d rather not be here when the Bloodborne decide to drop by for afternoon tea.”

Bellona’s fur bristled, her tail puffing up to twice its size like a bottle brush. She arched her back and hissed at Jaxon, sounding like a steam kettle releasing pressure.

“Stop it, Bellona,” Rose scolded, not even looking up from the book. “I can’t concentrate with you hissing at Jaxon.”

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