Page 116 of Magical Mayhem

“Maeve,” she said softly, her gaze never leaving the shimmer in the center of the room. “This is bigger than us.”

“I know,” I whispered back. “It always has been.”

The threads of this homecoming tugged in every direction. Keegan’s faltering breath. Gideon’s sickness hidden across town. The students, their midlife magic sparkling brighter with every lesson. The Wards thrumming with a rhythm older than Stonewick itself. And now, her.

The Silver Wolf.

Magic depended on this moment.

Unity.

Sacrifice.

The shimmer thickened and condensed until the shape took form. Silver fur gleamed as if dusted with starlight. Her body was lean and strong, but it was her eyes that stole the air from the room. Her gaze matched Keegan’s, but it was older and sharper, carrying every memory of leaving and returning. She was as large as I had remembered.

Keegan took all he had and straightened.

“So she returns.” My mother’s steady voice had a hint of recognition.

And I realized these were two women who’d abandoned Stonewick and those they loved, and now, they returned.

The Silver Wolf stepped forward, paws silent against the stone floor. Around us, whispers rushed in flurries as students gasped, sprites muttered, and instructors exchanged urgent glances.

Nova appeared in the doorway, but she didn’t move forward.

She waited.

Because this wasn’t about her. Or even about me.

It was about them.

I looked down at Keegan, and his eyes blazed as they held his mom’s.

He looked furious, lost, and yearning all at once, and I knew his wolf heart was tearing itself apart.

“She’s not just here for you,” my father murmured, his words meant only for me. “She’s here for Stonewick.”

I nodded faintly, unable to tear my eyes away.

The Silver Wolf lowered her head, not a bow, but a recognition. The air tightened, waiting for the first words.

And all I could think was: whatever happens next, the future of magic is no longer just about curses and Wards. It’s about what we choose now.

Together or divided again?

Keegan swayed, his strength almost gone. I held him upright, my heart pounding with fear and wonder.

Because this was no longer just about survival.

This was destiny coming home.

The shimmer of light that clung to her fur began to flicker, the silver edges trembling as though the charms themselves pressed closer to witness the event.

And then, before all of us, her shape shifted.

The ripple started at her paws, sliding upward like a tide of molten silver. Fur thinned into skin, claws melted into fingers, her muzzle curved into a mouth that inhaled sharply like it had been waiting years just to breathe this air. Her body elongated, softened, the lines of a woman appearing where once a wolf had prowled.

When the glow receded, standing in the center of the hall was a tall woman with hair the color of moonlight streaked through with midnight, and eyes that mirrored Keegan’s so perfectly that my heart twisted in my chest.