Page 127 of Magical Mission
But the truth of it was that just because I was the headmistress, it didn’t mean I was all that great at magic. I was still coming into my own.
Stella, Nova, and Ardetia were already there when I arrived. Stella poured tea like she always did, her hands steady, her shawl a deep forest green today, and her scarlet lips perfectly lined.
Nova leaned against the wall near the banister, arms crossed, eyes tracking me with calm precision. And Ardetia sat at the edge of the curved bench near the window, fingers resting lightlyon the carved armrest, her posture as still as a spell about to unfold.
I shut the door behind me, heart heavier than it had been all day.
“We need to talk about Celeste,” I said.
That was all it took.
Nova straightened. Ardetia’s eyes narrowed slightly. Stella, of course, just handed me a cup of tea and said nothing—for now.
“She wants to come for spring break,” I continued. “She doesn’t know anything about the magic here, or me, or the Wards. But she just wants to comehometo me. And I… I want to say yes.”
There was silence for a long moment.
Then Nova spoke. “We agreed before that we couldn’t afford family or visitors until Gideon is dealt with. Preferably, when the curse is broken.”
“I know,” I said quietly.
“And that hasn’t changed,” she added.
“It has,” I said, voice firmer now. “Not because the danger is gone. But because the timeline is longer than I thought.”
Ardetia tilted her head. “You believed this would be resolved by spring?”
“I was new to the magic world, and I didn’t understand how deeply woven shadows and curses were within our community.” I sighed. “I now know we could be fighting this formuchlonger,” I said. “And if I wait for everything to be safe and quiet and perfectly stitched together… I’ll be waiting forever.”
Stella finally spoke, voice low. “Is this just about missing her?”
I looked at her. “Isn’t that enough?”
She gave a slow nod, like she hadn’t expected the answer but respected it.
“I’m not saying we open the gates,” I added quickly. “I’m certainly not saying she stays in the Academy. But I have a cottage. We can charm it. I can put up layers she’ll never notice.”
“You want her close,” Nova said. “But shielded.”
“Yes.”
Ardetia watched me for a long moment. “You would risk her safety?”
“No.” My answer was immediate, and the force behind it surprised even me. “I wouldn’t bring her here if I thought she was in direct danger. But I also can’t keep her out of my life while I wait for a shadow I haven’t caught yet.”
Stella stirred her tea slowly. “That sounds like a woman who’s decided.”
“It sounds like a woman trying to be both headmistress and mother.” I paused. “I didn’t come here asking for permission. I came because Itrustyou. And I want your help.”
Ardetia glanced at Nova. “We’d need to extend the perimeter.”
“I already started a new set of tethers around the cottage after the last incident,” Nova murmured. “They could be reinforced. Karvey seemed to think they were about finished.”
“We can tie them into the other wards, with neutral filtering,” Ardetia said. “Enough to sense intrusion without triggering it. Subtle.”
“Doable?” Stella asked.
They both nodded.
