Page 172 of Magical Moonbeam

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I stumbled back from Keegan, heart racing. “No, no, no…”

“Maeve—”

“Get Stella. Get Nova. Now.”

Keegan didn’t hesitate.

The second he disappeared down the corridor, I slammed my back to the cold wall and clawed my hand against my temple like I coulddigthe thought out.

Unburden yourself. Don’t carry it all.

I gritted my teeth. He didn’t know, but he was searching for something.

“No,” I growled. “You don’t get to see my thoughts. You don’t getin.”

I dropped to my knees, sweat pouring down my spine, and summoned the Hedge again, harder this time, more desperate. I didn’t ask. Ibegged.

“Help me. Please. He’s inside.”

The light didn’t come gently. The beams ripped up from the floor and slammed into my back like a shield, like a cage. Thorned tendrils of light wrapped around my arms, not to bind, but to protect my thoughts.

They wove a cocoon of green and light and old magic around my head, whispering truth into my bones.

You are still yours.

You are rooted.

You are not what hides inside you.

The whispers drowned out his voice.

But only barely.

Another flicker burned behind my eyes. This time, his hand reached for the dragon den. His eyes turned toward the sealed chamber. The way the breath of stone warmed when he walked past…

No. No, no, no—

I screamed, not aloud, but inside my head, pouring everything into the Hedge’s protection.

Turn it against him.

You silly, man. Chasing after fantastical creatures that don’t exist? How pathetic. Is that what you wanted all this time? We could have shown you decades ago that nothing like that exists.

I filled my head with so many placed thoughts, guarding the real ones, while begging the Hedge for help to deliver my thoughts.

The Hedge answered.

Asnapcracked through my chest like a chord breaking.

Gone.

My body sagged, falling to the floor.

When I opened my eyes, Nova was kneeling beside me, her fingers glowing with green fire as she scanned me from scalp to soul.

“You’re clean,” she said softly, brushing my hair from my forehead. “But that was close.”

I nodded, voice gone.

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