Page 75 of Magical Melee

Stella lowered her hand as her shoulders slumped with exhaustion.

“Are you okay?” she asked tenderly.

I nodded. “Who is he, and where did he come from?”

Stella sighed, leaning heavily against the counter. “That was Gideon. He’s… a powerful enemy. One who has his own plans for Stonewick—and for you. He’s from Shadowick.”

Just like my dream.

“Why me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Because you’re more important than you realize,” Stella said, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and determination. “And he knows it.”

I swallowed hard, the weight of her words sinking in. Whatever was happening in Stonewick, I was at the center of it. And Gideon wasn’t going to stop until he got what he wanted.

I turned to Stella and nodded. “I’ve already met him.”

Chapter Nineteen

A jingle shot my pulse soaring until I saw that it was Nova walking inside the tea shop. A cobalt blue shawl billowed around her like a storm cloud chasing behind.

Right behind her was Keegan. His signature intensity was dialed up to eleven, and I slowly shook my head, realizing that he was even larger than Gideon. His broad shoulders filled up the space with a distracting strength that I’d never noticed before.

Ember from the hotel came in behind him.

“Maeve!” Keegan nearly growled before looking at the older woman. “Stella, what happened?”

“Gideon,” Stella replied, her tone grim. She was already sweeping up shards of broken teapot from the floor. “And he brought friends.”

“Of course he did,” Nova muttered, her lips pressed into a tight line. She turned to Ember. “Check the perimeter. Make sure they didn’t leave any surprises behind.”

Ember nodded. Her expression hardened as she disappeared out the door without a word.

Keegan, meanwhile, shot me with a look that was equal parts concern and frustration.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice low and steady.

“Define ‘okay,’” I said, my voice a little shakier than I’d have liked. “Because if it means terrified and confused, then yeah, I’m great.”

He didn’t smile.

He didn’t even blink.

But he did step toward me and gently reach for my hand. “What exactly did Gideon say to you?”

I swallowed hard, trying to piece together the events of the last half hour. “He knew my name. Said we had a lot to talk about. Something about me having a destiny. Oh, and he apparently wants to destroy Stonewick—or reclaim it, whatever that means.”

Keegan muttered a curse under his breath, running a hand through his hair.

“But it wasn’t the first time I met him.”

Keegan’s eyes locked on mine. “What do you mean?”

“He came to me in a dream.” I shook my head. “Well, more of a nightmare.”

Nova stepped closer. She narrowed her eyes on me. “Did he touch you?”

“What? No!” I said quickly, then hesitated. “But… it felt like he was pulling me toward him. Like there was this invisible thread, and I couldn’t stop it.”