Page 127 of Magical Melee
Without hesitation, I sprinted toward the cottage, the weight of the dark figures’ stares pressing heavily on my back. Just as I crossed the threshold, the doors slammed shut behind me.
Inside, the air was thick with tension.
Stella stood near the window, her hands glowing faintly as she traced protective symbols in the air.
Nova was by the hearth. Her face was calm but focused. She held a staff of dark wood clutched tightly in her right hand.
“You made it,” Stella said. Her voice was laced with relief but not without a touch of her usual humor. “We were starting to think the Academy decided to keep you.”
“Close enough,” I said, trying to catch my breath. “What’s going on out there?”
“Gideon,” Nova said simply, her voice as steady as ever. “He’s leading this attack, but he hasn’t shown himself yet.”
Keegan moved to the center of the room with a grim expression. “He’s testing our defenses, waiting for the right moment to strike.”
I looked around, trying to piece everything together. “And the gargoyles?”
“They’re part of the cottage’s protection,” Stella said. “Old magic. They only awaken when the danger is severe. They’ve come from every ward in Stonewick.”
“Severe,” I repeated, glancing back at the door. “That’s an understatement.”
Keegan crossed his arms, his gaze fixed on me. “You shouldn’t have come back.”
“I wasn’t going to stay safe at the Academy while you three fought Gideon alone,” I said firmly.
“Good,” Stella said with a grin despite the tension in the room. “Because we’re going to need all the help we can get.”
Before I could respond, a deep, resonant hum filled the air, different from the Academy’s soothing buzz. This was darker, more ominous, vibrating through the walls like a warning.
“He’s coming,” Nova said quietly.
We all fell silent as the weight of the moment pressed down on us.
Outside, the gargoyles roared once more. Their cries mixed with the distant rustle of the dark figures in the trees.
The battle for Stonewick had begun.
The tension in the room was palpable.
Stella glanced out the window. Her hands still glowed faintly from the protective sigils she’d been tracing.
Keegan paced near the fireplace. His brow furrowed in thought while Nova remained calm but alert.
I could still hear the faint cries of the gargoyles outside, their guttural roars mingling with the occasional rustling of the dark figures in the trees.
Stella finally turned to me, her sparkling eyes narrowing slightly.
“So,” she said, her tone casual but laced with curiosity, “did you speak with anyone at the Academy?”
“Is now really the time to talk about it?” I hesitated, the weight of the robed figure’s words still heavy on my mind.
“If not now, when?” A twinkle in her eyes told me life was about to get real.
“Yes,” I admitted. “I’m welcome to go back.”
Stella arched an eyebrow, her curiosity clearly piqued. “And? Who was it? What did they say?”
“I don’t know who it was exactly,” I said, running a hand through my hair. “She wore these indigo robes, and her face… it was like looking at a starry sky draped by a hood. She told me I was expected.”
