Page 49 of Magical Mission
I stayed near the door and watched the ladies truly enjoying themselves, but most of all, building a community.
Despite the singed edges, despite the talking basil and the mischievous sprite, the truth of it hit me.
They were learning.
Not just spells. Buthow to be here.How to hold space for their magic. How to be soft and serious and silly all at once.
And Bella, flustered, ash-dusted Bella, was doing exactly what she needed to do.
I caught her eye and gave her a little nod.
She rolled her eyes, but her shoulders relaxed.
After a few more deep breaths, the class slowly returned to something like order. The floating plants lowered. The chatter calmed.
And I slipped out, closing the door behind me, loving that I was surrounded by magical women who weren’t afraid to try, fail, and laugh about it.
The Academy was alive.
Chapter Twelve
The smell of lunch wafted down the corridor. The kitchen sprites were already hard at work, creating something buttery and herby, drifting through the air.
I was rounding the corner near the side hallway when I heard it. Muffled voices, low but sharp in tone, were bickering. I paused with one hand on the stone wall and strained to listen.
The Academy usually buzzed with conversation, yes, but this?
This wasdifferent.
This wasarguing.
And not just any kind of quarreling.
I knewthosevoices.
Nova.
And Twobble.
I took a careful step closer, pressing against the wall where the corridor split into a narrow alcove used mostly for broom storage and whatever odd magical object didn’t currently have a home.
“No, I’m serious,” Twobble hissed, his voice high and agitated. “I saw something. And she needs to know.”
“She doesn’t need to know until Iunderstandwhat you saw,” Nova replied, her voice low and edged like a blade wrapped in silk. “We don’t cause panic without facts.”
“I’m not panicking.”
“You’realwayspanicking, Twobble.”
There was a pause.
“I take offense to that,” he muttered.
Another pause. Shuffling. A frustrated sigh from Nova.
“Look,” she said more gently, “I believe you. Mostly. But I need time. Give me until tonight. If I can confirm anything, then we’ll tell her together.”
Her?
