Page 15 of Magical Melee (Stonewick Magical Midlife Witch Academy #1)

The drive to the cottage felt like the logical choice.

Fresh laundry, a warm fire, and Frank snoring peacefully by my side seemed like the perfect way to shake off the unsettling events of the day.

Not to mention, I wanted to give myself a little pep talk that went a little something like this.

I will keep what remaining marbles I have intact and ready for use.

I will not succumb to witches, goblins, and ghouls.

I went through a divorce.

I didn’t lose my mind.

But as I reached the town’s main square, a different instinct took hold. My hands tightened on the wheel, and before I could second-guess myself, I turned in the opposite direction—toward Nova’s tarot shop.

Frank, who was perched in the passenger seat, gave me a questioning look. His wrinkled face pressed against his window, and I reached over and scratched behind his ears. “Just one more stop, buddy.”

The laundromat encounter had left me rattled. Stonewick was a quaint little village. Why would three guys barge in with no laundry and want to pick on someone like me?

And then there was the little creature problem back at the cottage.

I could not shake my earlier meeting with a certain goblin on my porch.

The more I thought about Twobble and his bizarre introduction, the more I realized I couldn’t just shrug it off. Stonewick was proving to be a town where the impossible seemed disturbingly routine.

And Nova? She was right at the center of it all.

So was Stella.

And Keegan.

Not to mention the kaleidoscope tea?

I shook my head in disbelief at everything odd that had happened since I drank the darn tea.

It had to be the tea, right?

Maybe it was some long-lasting hallucinogenic tea or something.

I pulled into a small parking lot near the end of town, not far from Nova’s shop, and killed the engine before grabbing my keys and sliding out of the car.

Frank plopped down after me, his nails clicking on the pavement as I shut the door. The air was sharp and cold, and the distant buzz of the town had quieted, leaving only the sound of the wind whispering through the streets and buildings of Stonewick.

As I approached the shop, my steps slowed. The glow from within pulsed rhythmically, like a heartbeat. I hesitated at the door, glancing down at Frank, who stared up at me with his usual unflappable calm. His presence was reassuring, supporting me in reality even as my mind churned with questions.

But one thing I continually noticed about this town, whether it be my cottage, the tea shop, or the tarot place, was that an energy possessed them all.

Taking a deep breath, I rapped lightly on the door. “Nova? It’s Maeve.”

No answer.

I knocked again, a little louder this time. “I know it says you’re closed, but I really need to talk to you.”

The flickering light inside didn’t falter. I squinted through the window, but the view was distorted by the old glass. Shadows danced in the room, but I couldn’t make out much else.

I reached for the doorknob, expecting it to be locked, and the door opened with a low groan of the hinge.

Frank pressed his little body against my leg as if urging me inside.

“Nova?” I called again, stepping into the shop.

The warmth hit me first—a gentle, almost inviting heat that contrasted sharply with the cold outside. The familiar scent of incense and dried herbs filled the air, mingling with something stronger.

The flickering light I’d seen from outside came from a cluster of candles on a center table that wasn’t here the last time I came. Their flames danced from the draft I brought in behind me.

The shop was empty—or so it seemed. The shelves, lined with the familiar jars, crystals, and tarot decks, stood like silent monuments. The wooden beads leading to the reading room swayed slightly as if moved by invisible hands.

I walked further in, the wooden floor creaking under my boots. Frank stayed close with his ears perked and his nose twitching as he sniffed the air.

“Maeve.”

The voice, low and calm, came from the far corner of the room. I turned quickly as my heart leaped into my throat.

Nova slowly emerged from the shadows. Her green eyes gleamed in the candlelight. She moved with an almost ethereal grace. Her long shawl trailed behind her like a specter.

“You’re late,” she said, a faint smile playing on her lips.

“Late?” I repeated, bewildered. “Your sign says closed.”

She tilted her head as if details were irrelevant. “The door was open, wasn’t it?”

I opened my mouth to argue but thought better of it.

With Nova, things rarely seemed to follow conventional logic. I took a step closer, my resolve hardening. “I need answers.”

She motioned for me to follow her through the beads to the tarot room, but before I started, she turned and snapped her fingers.

The door behind me locked on its own. I hid my surprise by staring at the floor.

Everything was fine. I was NOT losing my grip on reality.

She gestured to the chair opposite her usual spot at the reading table. “Sit. Ask your questions.”

I hesitated, feeling the weight of the moment. Was I really ready for what she might tell me? With a deep breath, I took the seat, Frank settling at my feet.

“That night,” I began, my voice steadier than I expected. “The night I walked through Stonewick and ended up in that garden with you. Was it real? Or was it just a dream?”

Nova leaned forward and rested her hands on the table. “Does it feel like a dream to you?”

I hesitated, remembering the sensations—the chill of the air, the texture of the stone statues, the way the garden had pulsed with life.

The feeling that I was being watched had never left since that night in the garden.

“No,” I admitted. “It felt real. Too real.”

She nodded, her gaze never leaving mine. “That’s because it was real, Maeve. Dreams and reality are not as separate as you might think. Especially here.”

“But how?” I pressed. “How could I have been there with you and then woken up in my bed as if nothing happened? And how did you know exactly what I was thinking? What I was feeling?”

Nova’s expression softened, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of sympathy in her eyes. “I’ve told you that Stonewick is a place where the boundaries between the seen and unseen blur. You’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what you’re capable of.”

I blinked, my mind reeling. “What I’m capable of? What are you talking about? The most I’ve done is drink some tea, weed a few dead plants back at the cottage, and nearly fall over with a heart attack from Twobble.”

Nova leaned back, folding her hands in her lap. “You’ve met Twobble.”

It wasn’t a question. We were finally on the same page.

“Is there anything or anyone else I should know about who might creep up on me in the cottage?”

She chuckled. “Oh, there’s plenty.”

“He’s promised me answers.”

Nova nodded slowly as a smile crept along her lips. “Tempting, isn’t it?”

I ignored her. Of course, it was tempting. A little green man offering answers seemed like the only logical hope to keep what bit of sanity I had.

Logical!

I closed my eyes and shuddered before opening to see Nova watching me.

“The tea. Was it a hallucinogenic?” I pried.

She frowned and shook her head. “That would be illegal.”

“True, but I’m at my wit's end here. My daughter is at college, and I’m what… entertaining goblins, drinking magical tea, and…”

“Saving Stonewick from a fate worse than anything you can imagine.”

Her words froze me in place, but my pulse raced through me.

“If goblins are real, what are you?”

She lifted her brows. “That’s an odd question. Don’t you think?”

“Are you a witch?” I studied her. “You told my friend she’s pregnant.”

“And she is.” She smiled coyly. “With twins.”

“How do you know these things?”

“I told you that I’m a seer.”

“You haven’t aged one day since that photo was taken of me and my dad.”

Nova didn’t say a word.

“And neither has Stella. It’s like you two are frozen in time.”

“What if I told you we were frozen in time? Would that change anything? What would you do with that information?”

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with any of this information. I saw a goblin. A goblin, Nova. Those things aren’t supposed to exist.”

“Says who?”

I eyed her cautiously.

“Well, I mean most of the world.”

“Nonsense. Where do you think all the fables, fairytales, and legends come from?”

I glanced around the room and smiled. “Oh, I don’t know. People’s imaginations?”

Her lips pursed into a pretty smile. “Do you truly believe that?”

She snapped her finger, and a candle lit behind her.

I bent over and lifted the tablecloth, expecting to see a little foot pedal or something for special effects. All I saw were her beautiful silver boots.

“You can either fight it or accept it, Maeve.” She laughed a gentle melody. “Either way, it’s happening.”

“Great and can you tell me precisely what it is?” I shrugged. “Or should I just ask Twobble?”

“Do you truly think you can trust what comes out of a goblin’s mouth?” Her brows curled slightly.

“I don’t know. I haven’t had many experiences with them, but he seemed genuine.”

“Genuinely curious about your money.”

“Ha. I don’t have any, and I told him that.”

“Not yet.”

“Again, with the cryptic clues.”

“Stonewick is coming alive.” She rose from her chair and wandered to the deck of tarot cards and shuffled them. “We don’t need these to know what your future is, Maeve. Your future is here.”

Nova set the stack down. “You drank that tea, and it opened you up. The energy we traded that night had nothing to do with my reading and everything to do with the changes occurring in this town.”

I cleared my throat, suddenly wishing I had something to drink.

She spun around and eyed me. “And you.”

“I thought it was because I was dehydrated or stressed,” I said flatly. “That was kind of the consensus.”

“We very well couldn’t tell you the truth with Skye right there.” She sat down across from me and smiled. “Stonewick’s energy is changing. We can all feel it, and it’s because of you, Maeve. If I knew all the answers, I’d tell you. I would. But we have to let the questions unveil themselves before the answers can even surface.”

“And my dad? Why were we here?”

“Your dad wanted to help our town. It’s in your family’s blood to help Stonewick, but he wasn’t chosen for that purpose.”

“Chosen?”

“He tried so valiantly, and we all believed he was the one who could…” She stopped herself. “Your dad believed in this town like we do, and I can tell that you feel it too.”

She was right. The only two things I knew in this life was that I was meant to be Celeste’s mom, and I was meant to be in Stonewick.

“Great things will come, Maeve.” She nodded knowingly. “Your dad saw it. He knew how important things were, and he sacrificed something that nearly killed him.”

“Nearly killed him?”

She nodded but wouldn’t continue.

“What? Is he alive?” I shook my head, feeling nausea settle. “He was killed in an accident.”

“That is what you were led to believe, but his spirit is still very much here in Stonewick.”

“His spirit,” I whispered, shaking my head.

For a split-second, I’d let myself believe he hadn’t died.

And now, the weight of her words settled over me like a heavy blanket. There were so many imaginary things happening around me that I wanted to be fooled into believing my dad was alive.

Spirit.

It was a thoughtful way of saying he was still dead.

But to find out it was no ordinary accident that took his life…

I wanted to be angry, to demand why no one had told me sooner. But more than that, I wanted to understand. “Why now? Why am I just learning about this world now?”

“Because you’re ready,” Nova said simply. “The town has waited for you to return, and now you’re here when the time is right. The pieces are falling into place and, thankfully, just in time.”

“And the goblin? Twobble? Do I trust him?”

“He’s not here or there to protect you . He exists to protect the cottage. Don’t forget that.” Nova’s smile returned, this time with a hint of amusement. “Twobble has a knack for appearing at the right time. He’s a loyal ally. Though, his manners leave something to be desired. But when you told me he appeared tonight and didn’t…”

“Didn’t what?”

“Try to kill you, I knew the time had come.”

I laughed nervously. “Is that a thing?”

A wicked smile spread across her beautiful lips. “It can be.”

I tried to play it chill. Celeste always told me I needed to do that, but it didn’t come naturally.

My neighbor was a killer, but he liked me… so I was safe.

Great.

Stay chill.

I glanced through the beads to see a shadow against the window out front. I narrowed my focus and saw Keegan standing in the dark. His tense posture and steely gaze made my chest tighten. He wasn’t looking inside. He was staring down the sidewalk.

“Keegan’s outside.”

Nova smiled. “I’m not surprised.”

“What’s his deal? Why does he keep hovering around me like some brooding guardian angel?”

Nova’s expression didn’t change, but there was a hint of something—amusement, perhaps? “Keegan watches because he cares.” Her smile only grew. “More than he lets on.”

“That’s reassuring,” I said dryly. “He’s as transparent as mud.”

Nova chuckled softly. “Give him time. He’s guarded, but his heart is in the right place.”

I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or groan. “Great. So, I’m supposed to navigate goblins, cryptic townspeople, and now a man who can’t decide if he wants to help me or push me away.”

Nova’s eyes sparkled from the candlelight. “Stonewick has always thrived on its mysteries, Maeve. The more you explore, the more you’ll understand. But it’s not my job to tell you.”

I exhaled, feeling the weight of her words. “I don’t know if I’m ready for this. For any of it.”

Nova leaned forward, her voice gentle but firm. “You’re stronger than you think. Trust your instincts and trust our little town. Stonewick will always guide those who belong.”

I nodded slowly, the knot in my chest loosening just a bit. Despite the overwhelming strangeness of it all, there was a part of me that felt… right at home.

Could it be that I was finally stepping into a story that had been waiting for me all along?

“Keegan made it sound like not many people could handle staying at the cottage for long. Is that because of Twobble?”

Nova chuckled and nodded. “Partly, but that cottage is…special. If he doesn’t see to your exit, others often will if you don’t belong.”

“Good to know.” I whistled and shook my head.

Stay chill.

“Don’t worry. It would have happened already.” She grinned a toothy smile.

As I stood to leave, Nova reached out, placing a hand on mine. “Remember, Maeve, that the answers you seek are already within you and surround you. Stonewick is here to help you find them.”

I started toward the door and stopped to see Frank at my heels. “Nova, you promise me that the goblin is real. That it’s not some elaborate prank with a toddler in a costume?”

“No, we’re not that clever.”

I chuckled and stepped back into the cold night air with my four-legged companion. Keegan was still there with an unfamiliar expression as he watched me from the shadows. For once, I didn’t press him for answers. Instead, I nodded, a silent acknowledgment of the road ahead, and I went home where I belonged—to my little stone cottage just outside of town with a goblin as a gatekeeper.

And I realized the goblin was still much better than my ex-husband.