Page 139 of Magical Melee

Twobble stood at the edge of the clearing, his chest heaving with exertion. His goblin army gathered around him, their small faces alight with pride and exhaustion. He wiped a bit of dirt from his face and grinned.

“Well, that was fun,” he said, his voice rough but triumphant. “Anyone else hungry?”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

The tension in my chest finally began to ease. Keegan clapped me on the shoulder as his hazel eyes filled with admiration.

“You did good,” he said, his voice low and sincere.

I met his gaze, feeling a warmth spread through me that had nothing to do with the adrenaline.

“So did you,” I replied, my heart still racing. “It’s hard not to be impressed with your sword and all.”

He laughed and shook his head, and I felt that flutter of something I hadn’t felt for years.

As I looked around at the gathered defenders of Stonewick—the gargoyles, the goblins, the townsfolk who had riskedeverything to protect their home—I felt a deep sense of belonging.

I had chosen my friends over the power of the Academy, and for the first time, I knew without a doubt that I’d made the right decision.

The battlefield had fallen eerily quiet except for the occasional crackle of dissipating magic and the distant caws of returning gryphons.

“Keegan?” I asked. “We won, didn’t we?”

Keegan shook his head slowly, his expression grim. “This wasn’t the fight, Maeve. This was Gideon testing us.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. “Testing us?”

Keegan nodded. “Feeling out our defenses. Looking for weaknesses. That’s what Shadowick does—they probe, they prod, and then, when they’ve gathered enough information, they strike. This was only the beginning.”

My heart sank, quickly replaced by a gnawing dread. “So, this was just… practice for them?”

“And us.” Keegan’s gaze was steady. “Gideon wanted to see how strong we are. Next time, he won’t hold back.”

The weight of his words settled heavily on my shoulders. I glanced around at the others—Nova leaning on her staff, Stella tending to a wounded gargoyle, Twobble giving orders to his goblins like a seasoned general. They had fought so hard and risked everything. Yet, it was only a prelude to what was coming.

I swallowed hard, my grip tightening on my wand. “I chose to stay here, to fight with all of you instead of learning at the Academy. It was the right choice,” I said quietly. “But I have to get stronger. I can’t rely on luck and instinct forever.”

Keegan’s expression softened slightly, a hint of admiration in his eyes. “You’ll learn, Maeve. You’ve already come a long way in a short time.”

I gave a half-smile, though my mind was racing. The magic I’d witnessed today—the precision of Nova’s spells, the sheer force of Stella’s words, the calculated chaos of Twobble’s traps—was beyond anything I could dream of mastering. But I had to. They were counting on me.

And someday, I might need to protect Celeste.

Keegan sighed, his hand brushing the hilt of his sword. “It won’t be easy. There will be more battles, more losses before this ends.”

I frowned, my brow furrowing. “Before what ends?”

Keegan hesitated, his gaze flicking away for a moment. He looked like he’d just stepped into a trap he couldn’t escape from.

“Keegan,” I pressed. “What aren’t you telling me?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, clearly reluctant to continue. “There’s… a curse,” he began, but before he could elaborate, Ember appeared from the shadows, her usual playful demeanor tempered by urgency.

“I hate to break up the bonding session,” Ember said, her voice light but her eyes serious, “but we’ve got another problem.”

I turned. “What kind of problem?”

Ember glanced toward the cottage, her arms crossed. Things are… off.”