Page 115 of Magical Melee

Twobble leaned in close with glowing eyes. I sensed far too much enthusiasm for this time of night. “Maeve, before we embark on this little adventure, I’ve got a secret. Something that’s going to make our livessomuch easier.”

I narrowed my eyes, realizing he’d already ignored the no-talking rule. “A secret? Why do I feel like this is going to be trouble?”

He clutched his chest as if I’d punched him. “Trouble? Maeve, I’m offended. This is the opposite of trouble. This is brilliance. Efficiency! A true goblin innovation.”

I crossed my arms, not entirely convinced. “Alright, spill it.”

Twobble glanced dramatically as if something was about to jump on us even though we were on the roof.

In a conspiratorial whisper, he said, “There’s a tunnel. Many of them, in fact.”

I blinked. “A tunnel?”

“Tunnels.” He nodded enthusiastically. “A direct route to the Academy Gardens. No need for those pesky magicalalleyways or waiting for the Academy to open its doors like some moody recluse. We can bypass all of that. I mean, it might still blow you out of town once you surface and attempt to gain entrance, but there’s only one way to know.”

I chuckled. “Thanks for the encouragement.”

“Well, I mean, we’re all adults. You know the risks.”

I stared at him as a mix of curiosity and suspicion swirled in my chest. “Why am I only hearing about these tunnels now?”

“Well,” Twobble said, scratching the back of his bald head, “it’s sort of a goblin thing. We’re not supposed to share it with outsiders. But you’re different, Maeve. You’re one of us now—or close enough. You certainly share our taste in style.”

I scowled at him.

“Telling you this too soon wouldn’t do anything for you.” He shrugged. “You’re given the information when you’re ready for it. It’s always worked that way. Just like this.”

“Since when did you decide to tell me?”

“Since you saw the library.”

My eyes focused on the little goblin man in front of me. “How do you know about that?”

“I snuck down when you were busy giving your ex salutations of a sort.” His toothy grin widened. “Nice work, though. It definitely got under his skin.”

I chuckled. “Twobble, what am I going to do with you?”

“Just don’t love me and leave me, Maeve. My heart couldn’t take it.” He patted his chest with a chuckle. “Is that why you’re trying to break into the Academy? Because you saw it in the pedestal?”

“I’m not breaking in.”

“What are you talking about? This is very much the definition of breaking and entering.” He hopped off the roof and looked up at me. “So, are you ready?”

I grumbled under my breath.

“What was that?” He touched his oversized ear.

“And this tunnel,” I said slowly, “it’s safe?”

“Of course!” Twobble said a little too quickly. “Well, mostly. I mean, as long as you don’t touch the goblin gold or step on the squeaky stones, you’ll be fine.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Squeaky stones? Goblin gold?”

“Minor details,” he said, waving a clawed hand. “The point is, it’ll get us there without any magical fanfare. No one will even know we’ve gone.”

I chewed on my lip, torn. On the one hand, the idea of a secret tunnel to the Academy gardens was tempting—no more waiting, no more mysterious watchers. On the other hand, trusting Twobble with something this important felt like a gamble.

“You’re sure about this?” I asked, my voice softening. “I need to know I can trust you, Twobble.”