Page 16 of Magical Melee (Stonewick Magical Midlife Witch Academy #1)

The cottage was quiet as I locked up for the night. The only sounds came from the faint rustle of wind through the bare trees outside and the soft patter of Frank’s paws on the wooden floor. The fire in the hearth had burned down to glowing embers, casting flickering shadows across the walls.

I glanced out the window one last time, half-expecting to see Keegan or Twobble staring at me before I closed the heavy drapes.

The one thing I forgot to ask just about everyone was where were the matches. It was great that people could wink at a fireplace or snap their fingers to lock a door, but I needed a good old-fashioned matchbox.

Or a lighter.

“Enough mystery for one day,” I muttered, turning toward the bathroom.

“Frank, I’ll be in the shower if you need me.”

Oh. My. God. I was talking to my dog and expecting him to answer.

I put my witch pajamas from Skye on the small cabinet and turned on the hot water. The tiny room instantly steamed, and I stepped inside the tile surround.

The hot shower was exactly what I needed. The steam arched around me as I stood under the continuous stream and let the water wash away my disbelief.

I was in a magical cottage with a goblin lurking outside.

No biggie.

My thoughts wandered back to Keegan stepping in at the laundromat, Twobble introducing himself, and Nova’s cryptic messages.

My life felt surreal. It was as if I’d stumbled into some twisted version of reality where nothing could be taken at face value.

In fact, this new life had wrapped its tentacles around me so tightly that I thought for a brief moment that my dad hadn’t died. The thought left me exhausted and craving something I couldn’t have.

That’s how much I wanted to believe in magic. Believe in something that would bring back the one man who loved me unconditionally.

Even at forty-five years old, my dad still left a mark.

His absence, even more so.

I let out a heavy sigh after drying off and slipped into the jammies. The fabric warmed my skin. Frank had been curled in front of the fireplace, and I wandered over to one of the shelves where a book with a worn leather spine leaned against a brass bookend.

Lifting it off the shelf, I noticed an embossed candle with an ignited wick on the cover. I ran my fingers over the soft leather as I thought back to that night at the gate.

“What do you think, Frank? Is this one of those answers I’m supposed to stumble upon?” I chuckled to myself and sat down on the oversized couch, tucking my legs under me.

I opened the first page and looked down.

The Village of Stonewick

Precincts

Maple Ward

Butterfly Ward

Flame Ward

Stone Ward

I wondered where all these were in Stonewick. My best guess was that the Butterfly Ward was in town where the hidden garden resided and maybe this little cottage was the Stone Ward since it was a stone structure, but the Maple and Flame wards made me curious.

I flipped to the next page with a quickened pulse.

Stonewick Magical Midlife Witch Academy

“How quaint,” I muttered, tilting my head as I stared at the words.

A school?

“Frank, did you know about this?”

He stretched his paws almost like a cat and laid back down in front of the bit of heat being thrown off from the embers.

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 quick I love you and 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 smell the 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.

His piercing blue eyes seemed to catch the light, even in the gloom. He wore a long, tailored coat that flared slightly at the hem. A black wool scarf was draped loosely around his neck. He leaned casually against a lamppost.

“Maeve,” he said, his voice smooth and low, like the thrum of a cello. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

The magnetic quality to him frightened me. It was the kind of allure that made it hard to look away. Despite the cold, he exuded warmth, a kind of dangerous charm that set my nerves on edge.

“I don’t know you,” I said in my dream, my voice wary.

Though, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d seen him before.

His smile was slow and confident with only a slight curve of his lips. “Not yet. But you will.”

He walked toward me, his footsteps tapping on the cobblestones. “You’ve been searching for answers, haven’t you? About Stonewick. About your family. I can give you those. I can bring you peace. Closure.”

I took a step back, my instincts screaming at me to keep my distance.

But it was only a dream, right?

“Why would you want to help me?”

His smile widened, revealing perfect white teeth. “Because you’re special, Maeve. You’re meant for more than that sleepy little town can offer. Stonewick is holding you back, keeping you in the dark. But I can show you the truth. Instantly.”

He gestured to the foggy street behind him, where the dim outline of a grand house materialized in the distance. Its windows glowed faintly, and it felt like eyes watched us from the shadows.

The sight of it sent a chill down my spine.

“Come with me,” he said, extending his hand. His eyes softened, the flirtation giving way to something more earnest. “Let me show you what you’re capable of.”

I hesitated, feeling the weight of his gaze and the odd pull of his words.

The fog closed in around us, muffling the world beyond and promising something I’d been craving.

Resolution.

And yet, there was something about him that felt wrong. The way his smile never quite reached his eyes or the way shadows hugged him with every movement, as if they were a part of him.

“What’s in it for you?” I asked.

Even in my dream, my voice was steady despite fear gripping my throat.

His smile faltered for a brief moment before returning, sharper this time. “Let’s just say we share a common goal. Stonewick has been a thorn in my side for far too long. It’s time for a change, and it’s time you stop getting pushed around by the people who live there.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You want to destroy it.”

“Not destroy,” he corrected, his tone casual. “Reclaim. Stonewick has power, Maeve. Power that’s been wasted for generations. With your help, we could change that. We could merge the strength of Shadowick with the past of Stonewick.”

His words suffocated me as I glanced around. Countless eyes watched from the shadows.

The fog seemed to pulse with life.

Shadowick.

“No,” I said firmly, stepping back. “Whatever you’re planning, I want no part of it.”

His expression darkened, and the charm tumbled away to reveal something more ominous.

“You’ll come around, Maeve,” he growled. “You can’t hide from who you are. And when you’re ready to embrace it, I’ll be waiting, and if you’re lucky, I’ll break the curse.”

The fog thickened, swallowing him whole.

I stared through the skylight, wishing the nightmare never happened. I could only handle so much.

The room was dark and silent, except for the soft snoring of Frank downstairs. My heart raced as I tried to shake off the lingering fear from the dream.

But it wasn’t just a dream. It felt too real, too vivid. The man and the town… the eerie sense of being watched—it all felt like a warning.

Or worse, a promise.

My hands trembled slightly as I scooted back under the covers and prayed.

And wondered what he’d meant by the curse.

But one thing I knew for certain. I’d been to wherever that man was, and I intended to never go back.