Page 91 of Magical Mayhem
“He’s not like Keegan,” I whispered as we turned a corner. “Keegan’s strong. He’ll hold on. But Gideon… he’s…”
“A pain in the goblin backside?” Skonk offered.
I bit back a laugh, though it came out sharp, more desperate than amused. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Yeah, I know.” His voice softened, rare enough to make me glance at him. “He’s brittle. Always has been. All shadows and spit, no marrow.”
The words chilled me.
We crossed the courtyard, the night air biting, the shadows overhead thicker than ever. They swirled across the sky, pressing low enough to make the lanterns flicker uneasily.
“It’s like they know,” I murmured.
“They always know,” Skonk replied. “Shadows are nosy like that. Eavesdroppers. You can’t trust ‘em.”
His words didn’t help. My pulse quickened as we reached the alley leading into Stonewick proper. The inn stood just beyond, its lanterns glowing weakly against the creeping dark.
Every step closer felt like a countdown.
I thought of Gideon in the dream, his voice raw, admitting he didn’t want to be forgotten. I thought of his body slumped in the Wilds, shadows curling over him like chains. I thought of Keegan, pale and sweating, his fire dimming day by day.
If I couldn’t hold them both, if I couldn’t keep them breathing long enough to stand at the circle, all of this, all of Stonewick, would crack apart.
“Maeve,” Skonk said suddenly, his tone lighter, teasing again. “You should’ve seen Twobble trying to keep Nova calm. He looked like a duck trying to herd dragons. Nearly tripped over his own ears twice. Quite the performance. I’d have brought popcorn if goblins believed in sharing.”
I huffed out a breath, half a laugh, half a sob. “You’re impossible.”
“And you’re lucky I am,” he shot back with a grin. “Otherwise, you’d be facing this alone.”
We reached the corner, the inn’s shadow looming ahead. Its windows glowed, but faintly, as though even its hearth was afraid to burn too brightly.
I stopped, pressing a hand against my chest. My heart hammered so hard I thought it might tear free.
Skonk turned, his grin fading again. “Ready?”
“No.”
“Good. Neither am I. That means we’re doing it right.”
The inn door loomed, just steps away, and with it, the truth I wasn’t sure I was ready to face.
Together, Skonk and I moved into the inn and wound our way to Gideon’s room.
And just before I reached for the handle, I whispered to myself, “Not tonight.”
Skonk pushed the door open ahead of me, and I followed, my pulse drumming in my ears.
Inside, the scene was chaos and stillness blurred into unease.
Nova stood at the foot of the bed, her staff braced like an anchor, her green eyes glowing faintly in the dim light.
Ardetia hovered by the window, her hands spread as if she could push the shadows back with sheer will, her hair gleaming like a halo.
Twobble paced furiously at the bedside, muttering about how this wasn’t in his goblin job description.
Stella perched in a chair, her shawl wrapped tightly around her shoulders, her expression taut and worried despite the feigned calm.
And Gideon lay in the center of it all, slumped against the pillows.
