Page 64 of Magical Melee

As I started flipping through the pages, an unexplained surge of adrenaline hit me. This was the kind of school I needed to attend.

My gaze fell on a chapter title, and I chuckled.

Balancing Spells and Hot Flashes: A complete guide to integrating cooling charms into lesson plans and handling unpredictable magical outbursts with grace, charm, and a little humor.

I flipped to the next chapter and quickly read the title.

Magical Melee with Empathy: Your students will bring a wealth of life experiences to your classroom. And baggage, lots of baggage. Learn how to balance discipline with compassion and understand when to turn a blind eye when a harmless hex targets an ex. Disputes will arise. It’s how they’re handled that matters, and a little fun at this age never hurt anyone…too much.

I chuckled at the thought when the next chapter made me stop.

The Stonewick Headmistress/Headmaster understands that magic can spark in youth, but like a good wine, it improves with age. Guide your witches wisely, and the Academy will thrive. Turn the wrong corner, and the downfall will arrive.

This wasn’t a book for students. It was for the head of the Academy? Wow. Maybe this cottage was part of some training that no longer existed, and that was why it wasn’t inhabited. There was no headmaster or headmistress to take over. A shiver ran through me, and I set the book back on the shelf and yawned a deep, vibrating sigh.

As I turned to look at Frank, I realized I hadn’t heard from Celeste in two days. Was that all it took before she fell into her new life?

A smile touched my lips at the thought, and I quickly reached for my phone on the end table. I sent a quickI love youand she instantly wrote back the same three words. My heart squeezed, knowing she still wasn’t too busy for a quick check-in.

“Okay, Frank. I’m counting on you to keep Twobble outside the walls where he belongs.” I glanced at a blanket and tucked it around his round body on the floor. Frank looked somewhat like a potato when he wasn’t dressed in a tux or motorcycle suit, but nonetheless, he looked at me as if he understood, and I made my way up the steps to the loft.

My head was spinning as I tried to think logically about what was transpiring around me. Did that school actually teach magic, or was that part of the town’s upkeep of appearances?

No. I had to quit thinking like that.

I knew the truth whether I wanted to accept it or not.

Magic existed.

I thought back to the words my dad had told me so many decades ago,“Maeve, be the magic.”

And it occurred to me he probably let me in more than I even realized. But why would my mom hide it all from me?

Pulling back the heavy quilt, I crawled into bed and let out a deep breath.

The room was quiet, save for the occasional creak of the old cottage settling and the gentle rise and fall of Frank’s snoring downstairs.

The skylight above revealed a sky full of stars. Their piercing light dotted the night sky like a masterpiece. This was something I could get used to. I just wasn’t sure if Stonewick could get used to me.

I liked asking questions.

Answers brought me peace.

I liked peace.

A little yawn bubbled from my lips as I closed my eyes, letting the warmth of the bed and the soft sounds of the night finally lull me to sleep.

I woke with a start and grabbed the quilt, feeling like I was free-falling. My heart pounded in my chest and sweat trickled down the back of my neck.

The vivid and unsettling dream stayed fresh in my mind as my brain rewound it like an old VHS player.

I had been standing in a town not unlike Stonewick. The streets were narrow, cobblestone, and lined with buildings that leaned into one another as if trying to block out the sky. There were no colorful doors or welcoming benches. No pumpkins dotted the sidewalks. There wasn’t an iota of friendliness.

Unlike here, a thick fog clung to everything. The weak glow of streetlights swallowed by the towering buildings and overgrown trees did little to brighten the town. I could still smellthe heavy air filled with the scents of damp earth and something metallic.

Ahead of me, a man waited. He was tall, with dark hair that curled slightly at the ends. His face was both striking and…dangerous. His sharp jawline was dusted with stubble and formed into a frown when he turned around to see me.

What I didn’t like was what he did to my insides. A heated pool settled deep in my stomach when he looked at me. If it hadn’t been so cold outside, I would have needed to fan off.