Page 10 of Shamrocks & Second Chances

“‘Where petals bloom and memories fade, retrace the path where promises were made,’” I read aloud.

Seamus dodges another pillow and moves closer, peering over my shoulder at the card. “The Botanical Dance Stage,” he says immediately. “Where we first danced during the LoveLuck Festival.”

Our gazes meet, and for a moment, I’m transported back to that night of fairy lights twinkling overhead, the scent of spring blossoms in the air, magical shamrocks floating in the air, and Seamus’s arms around me as we swayed to ethereal music. The night he first told me he loved me.

“That has to be it,” I agree, tucking the card into my pocket. “We should go there next.”

“Together?” Seamus asks, his voice hopeful.

Before I can answer, Hecate materializes on top of the bookshelf. “Oh, you’re definitely going together. This is getting interesting. Also, Seamus, hiding a breakup letter in a book? That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard, and I once watched a werewolf try to catch his own tail for three hours straight.”

Seamus glares up at her. “I wasn’t breaking up with her. I was explaining why I had to leave temporarily.”

“Two years is not temporary,” I snap, though the letter has taken some of the edge off my anger. “And you still should have told me to my face.”

“I know.” Seamus dodges yet another pillow. “I know, Bella, and I’m sorry. Sorrier than you can imagine.”

I study his face. Part of me wants to forgive him, to understand the impossible position he was in. Another part remembers the nights I cried myself to sleep, and the hollow ache that never quite went away.

“This doesn’t change everything,” I say finally. “But...it changes something. Let’s just focus on finding your gold and figuring out who’s behind all this.”

Relief washes over his features. “Thank you, Bella.”

Lady Winifred materializes between us, her spectral form glowing with indignation. “If you two are quite finished with your melodrama, I’d appreciate you taking it elsewhere. This is a library, not a theater.”

“We’re going,” I say, tucking the book under my arm. “Thank you for your help, Lady Winifred.”

The ghost sniffs, adjusting her spectacles. “Just remember, Miss Brewster, sometimes the stories we tell ourselves are more damaging than the truth.”

With those cryptic words, she vanishes, leaving behind only the faint scent of lavender and old books.

Hecate jumps down from the bookshelf, landing gracefully on my shoulder. “To the Botanical Dance Stage, then? Where you two made googly eyes at each other under the moonlight?”

I roll my eyes but can’t suppress a smile. “Yes, to the Botanical Dance Stage, and Hecate? Try to behave yourself.”

“No promises,” she says, settling comfortably against my neck.

Seamus gestures toward the library exit. “Shall we?”

I nod, clutching the book to my chest like a shield. The letter inside has changed the narrative I’ve been telling myself for two years, but the pain of his absence remains. As we walk toward the door, I steal a glance at him—the strong line of his jaw, the way his hair catches the light, the familiar way he moves.

My heart gives a traitorous flutter. This is going to be complicated.

Chapter 4—Seamus

THE BOTANICAL DANCEStage glows with enchanted lights as we approach. Bella walks slightly ahead of me, her green hair catching the magical illumination in ways that make my heart skip. The stage sits in the center of Evershift Haven’s largest park, a circular platform surrounded by ever-blooming flowers that change color with the music.

“This is where the clue leads?” Bella asks, her voice tight with suspicion as she studies the empty dance floor. “Seems too quiet.”

I nod, scanning the area. “Lady Winifred’s riddle mentioned ‘where nature and rhythm combine.’ This has to be it.”

The dance stage holds special significance for us. Two years ago, during the LoveLuck Festival, I first saw Bella here. She was dancing alone, her hair then a vibrant purple, moving with such joy that I couldn’t look away. By the end of that night, we’d danced together and won the “Most Magical Connection” category.

Now, the stage stands empty. No musicians, no dancers, and no obvious clue.

“Maybe we need to—” I start, but my words die as the stage lights suddenly intensify.

Music swells from nowhere as fiddles and pipes play a familiar tune. The flowers surrounding the stage shift to deep emerald green.

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