Page 49 of Magical Melee
I laughed, nodding in agreement.
“So… who exactly owns this place?” I asked.
The question tumbled out before I could stop myself. I had assumed it was just some old town property that needed upkeep, but something told me there was more to it than that.
Stella chuckled, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
“It’s Keegan’s,” she said, shrugging as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Well, not exactly his. He doesn’townit, per se, but he’s looked after it for as long as I can remember. It’s a bit of an… unusual arrangement.”
I raised an eyebrow, trying to ignore the odd flutter in my chest at the mention of Keegan.
“So… he’s technically my landlord?”
Stella laughed, the sound rich and warm, filling the quietness. “Not quite. Think of yourself as the cottage’s steward. Keegan has enough on his plate as it is. He’ll check in occasionally, but he’s trusting you with the day-to-day.”
I nodded, though my mind spun with questions. There was something about this place—like everything in Stonewick—that hinted at hidden layers, secrets waiting to be unearthed. I wondered if Keegan would ever share them or if he’d just keep his distance and let me figure it out on my own.
“It’s beautiful. I don’t feel deserving, to be honest.”
Her gaze sharpened on me instantly. “Don’t talk like that, Maeve. We are deserving of what is given to us. Would it be better for this cottage to sit in the woods unused, underappreciated, and decaying?”
“Well, when you put it that way…”
“Maybe this cottage isn’t deserving ofyou,” she said simply.
I shook my head. “Not possible.”
“That’s how I feel when I hearyousay such rubbish.” She shook her head, kneeling down near the fireplace.
I glanced toward the kitchen and by the time I looked back at Stella, flames were crackling in the fireplace as the room filled with a comforting scent of woodsmoke.
My eyes flew to Stella’s and then back to the stacked logs in the flames.
A match.
Wouldn’t you need a match?
“There comes a time in life with age and wisdom when you realize that you do, in fact, deserve the good in life. We’re hand-delivered enough of the bad, don’t you think?”
I shook myself out of my daze, realizing the fire didn’t start on its own, and nodded in appreciation of her advice.
“It’s a process, but at least I’m in a beautiful home while I lick my wounds.”
She snickered. “You either find someone else to do the licking, or you just move on. It feels better that way.” She winked at me as I stood frozen from the visual that I wasn’t sure was intended.
Thankfully, she went in a different direction. “I think that’s why Keegan was drawn to it. This place has its own kind of magic, you know?”
I looked around, feeling the quiet energy that pulsed through the cottage. It was subtle, like a heartbeat. “Magic, huh?”
“Of a sort,” she said, her eyes twinkling. “You’ll see. This cottage has a way of showing you things when you’re ready. Just like life.”
A narrow set of steps led up to a loft bedroom. I climbed them slowly, running my fingers along the worn wood of the banister. The loft was small but inviting, with a large bed piled high with blankets and pillows. A dazzling quilt with pieced-together floral fabrics in rich colors caught my eye. My fingers slid over a velvet underside, and I smiled.A tiny bedside table held a tarnished silver candlestick with a barely used red candle.
Alex would never go for something like this. He wanted boring and beige.If he was really stepping out, he’d add in some dark brown. I rolled my eyes at the thought and scolded myself for letting him in my private sanctuary.
Otherwise known as my mind.
A skylight above the bed let in a stream of light, illuminating the dust bits floating lazily in the air.
