Page 63 of Magical Mayhem
I leaned back, fighting the urge to shake him awake, to demand how he could sense what had always been mine alone. But he needed rest. And I needed answers I didn’t have.
So I sat there in the firelight as the weight of two men pressed against my ribs, the pull of shadows thickening outside the inn, and the unshakable knowledge that whichever path I chose next, truth or lie, Keegan or Gideon, the ground beneath my feet was already cracking.
And I had no idea if I could hold the pieces together, but I had to try.
I slowly stood and walked past Ardetia, who gave a faint smile and nod as I moved to the doorway.
The Academy’s hallway smelled faintly of lemon oil and old books, polished wood gleaming under the lanterns.
I closed Keegan’s door softly behind me, leaning against it for a breath. The weight of what he’d said,Gideon is close, still thudded in my chest like a second heartbeat.
“Maeve.”
Nova’s voice drifted from the far end of the hall, low and even.
I turned, startled, to see her leaning lightly on her staff, green eyes steady, hair spilling raven-dark down her shoulders. She looked less like a seer who carried the weight of the world and more like… well, an aunt who’d been waiting with tea and a blanket, ready to listen.
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” I said quickly.
“You didn’t,” she replied, coming closer. “The shadows don’t let me sleep easily. Besides…” Her gaze stayed on me. “I felt the shift. And I feltyou.”
My throat tightened. “Nova, I—”
She raised a hand before I could tangle myself in excuses. “No lectures tonight. Just truth. Tell me, child.”
Child. She said it with such warmth that it undid me. Suddenly, all the composure I’d scraped together crumbled like sand. My shoulders shook as words spilled out before I could stop them.
“I found him,” I whispered. “In the Wilds. Gideon. He was half dead, shadows choking him. I couldn’t leave him there, Nova. I couldn’t. Stella, Bella, and even Twobble helped me bring him back. He’s hidden in the inn now.”
The confession hung between us, heavy and fragile. I braced myself for scolding, for sharpness.
But Nova only sighed, a long, thoughtful sound.
She laid her hand over mine, her palm warm, grounding. “Oh, Maeve.”
Her voice was soft, not condemning. It was like an aunt hearing you’ve done something reckless but brave, and knowing it came from love more than folly.
Tears pricked my eyes, hot and relentless. “Keegan felt him just now, Nova. Heknew. He said Gideon was too close. And he begged me to swear I’d keep him out. How can I promise that when—” My voice cracked. “When he’s already here?”
Nova’s thumb brushed over my knuckles, steady and sure. “You carry too much alone, Hedge Witch. It was never meant to rest all on you.”
“But it does,” I said fiercely, wiping my eyes with my sleeve. “The Academy, the curse, the students, Keegan, Gideon, my parents…” I barked out a laugh that sounded half mad. “Even the mule feels like my responsibility somehow.”
Nova’s mouth curved faintly. “The mule will manage.” She shook her head. “But you, you are unraveling.”
Her words sliced through me. It wasn’t cruelly, but with truth. I had been unraveling, one quiet strand at a time.
Nova leaned on her staff, tilting her head in that thoughtful way of hers. “When the world tangles, what do we do, Maeve?”
“Cut the knots?” I guessed, trying for humor.
“Ah.” Her smile softened. “No. We listen to the threads. We follow them to untangle.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “You obviously didn’t grow up in my house.”
She smiled.
“So, how exactly do I do that?”
