Page 19 of Magical Melee (Stonewick Magical Midlife Witch Academy #1)

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.”

Nova exchanged a dark look with Keegan, who nodded almost imperceptibly.

“You’re sure he didn’t touch you?”

I nodded. “Positive.”

“Maeve,” Nova said carefully, “did anything else happen? Did he say or do anything that felt… familiar?”

I hesitated with a racing heart.

Glancing at Stella, she gave me a slight nod of encouragement.

“Last night, I had a dream about him. Except it didn’t feel like a dream. It was like I was in another town, and he was there, trying to lure me to some big house. He said things about Stonewick, about me, like he knew everything. It was so real. It was just like the dream or reality or whatever it was I tumbled into with you.”

Nova’s face hardened. “That wasn’t a dream. It was a calling. He’s a seer like I am.”

I blinked. “A what now?”

“A calling,” she repeated, her voice laced with urgency. “Gideon has been reaching out to you, trying to draw you into his world. The fact that you experienced it so vividly means his connection to you is stronger than we anticipated.”

Keegan’s jaw tightened. “We should have seen this coming.”

“Seen what's coming?” I snapped. “Would someone please explain what the hell is going on? Why is this guy after me? And what does he mean by ‘destiny’? Do I need to be worried about my daughter?”

Nova took a deep breath, and her expression softened slightly. “Gideon is dangerous, Maeve. He’s been trying to manipulate Stonewick’s magic for years, twisting it to serve his own purposes. But he’s been waiting for someone like you.”

“Like me?” I echoed, my voice incredulous. “Why? I don’t even know what I’m doing here!”

“That’s exactly why,” Keegan said with a lowered voice. “You’re new to this. You’re connected to the town, but you haven’t fully tapped into its magic yet. Or yours. That makes you vulnerable—and valuable.”

“He wants to use you,” Nova added. “To break the barriers that protect Stonewick and harness the town’s power for himself.”

“For Shadowick.”

They nodded.

I let out a shaky laugh, rubbing my temples. “Great. So I’m not just some clueless woman stumbling into small-town magic—I’m a target for a power-hungry sociopath. I did not sign up for this. I just wanted a nice place to stay and a fun job while I got my feet on the ground.” I eyed Stella. “But none of you answered my question. Will Celeste be okay?”

Keegan’s eyes softened a fraction. “She is not part of this. Not yet.”

My brows lifted as my stomach tensed into a painful ache. “Not yet?”

“She hasn’t been here. So, she’s safe.” He acted like that solved the problem.

“But if she comes here?” I asked.

“We don’t know the answer to that,” Stella said quietly.

I flashed my gaze to Nova. “What about you? Can you see if she would be safe? That’s what you do, right? You see things?”

“I would need to meet her, which would require her to come here.” She pressed her lips together. “Which I would highly advise against until we get this all sorted.”

“Sorted? Is this something that can actually be sorted?” My anger jumped about ten notches. It was one thing to play fantasy with my own life, but I wouldn’t endanger Celeste.

“I can’t do this. Not with my daughter.” I shook my head. “It’s been fun while it lasted, but I’m out.”

Frank took two steps in front of me and sat down.

“Celeste will be protected if she were ever to come to Stonewick.” Keegan kept his eyes on mine. “You have my word.”

“I know that should mean something, but I haven’t known you long enough to believe it.” I let out a deep breath. “My daughter is my world.”

Frank nodded at me.

I was certain of it.

“I don’t know how else to say this, but if you don’t help us, Maeve. There is a lot more at stake than just our town.” Keegan’s voice edged with a tenderness I’d never heard from him before.

“You guys have a lot more faith in me than I do.” I shook my head. “Why would you want someone who didn’t even know magic existed two weeks ago to help in any way whatsoever?”

“Because Stonewick’s tradition has always been to embrace experience and age over most things. The one time we didn’t do that, our town fell.” Nova’s lips twitched, though her eyes remained serious.

“I’m not following.” I glanced at Stella. “I just watched her ignite flames that extinguished immediately. She filled a room with a wicked glow. That,” My hands ran in circles, “was very helpful a few minutes ago. I can’t do that. I can’t do anything but lodge a teapot at someone.”

“In our world, life experience often outweighs magical smarts. Sure. Books can teach spells, symbols, and the history of the magical fold,” Stella explained. “But it’s life’s challenges that forge true magical resilience. It’s what teaches us how to use magic correctly.”

Nova nodded and took a seat at one of the tables. “It’s true. A spell’s complexity pales in comparison to the ability to navigate the gray areas of good and bad. Your life experience sharpens instincts and hones your intuition.” She smiled kindly and let out a sigh. “It builds the courage you need to act when the stakes are high, but a certain maturity gives us the compassion to step back when our skills aren’t what’s required. We can remove our ego.” She glanced at Keegan. “Or at least many of us can.”

I chuckled and shook my head to see Keegan roll his eyes.

“Magic isn’t just about reciting ancient incantations. It’s about understanding the flow of energy, the weight of choices, and the balance of power. Without real-world experience, even the most knowledgeable practitioner falters when it matters most. That’s why we need someone with true life experiences to lead,” Stella explained.

“And the correct bloodline,” Keegan added.

I let the words simmer for a few seconds.

“What if I don’t want any part of this?” I asked, my voice cracking. “What if I just want to go back to my normal, boring life? You know, I got a lot of satisfaction out of potato crisps in recent months.”

“I know this is a lot, Maeve. I do.” Keegan’s gaze was steady and unyielding. “But truthfully, you don’t have a choice. Gideon won’t stop until he gets what he wants. And right now, what he wants is you.”

Before I could respond, Ember reappeared in the doorway, her expression grim. “The perimeter’s clear, but there’s residual energies clogging up our defenses. They left in a hurry, but they’ll be back.”

Nova nodded with tense shoulders. “Then we need to move quickly. Maeve, you need to learn how to shield yourself. If Gideon can reach you in your dreams, he can manipulate you in ways you won’t even notice or see coming.”

I stared at her. “And you can teach me how to stop that? Stop him?”

“Yes,” Nova said firmly. “But it won’t be easy. You’ll need to trust us.”

I glanced at Stella, who gave me a reassuring smile. “You’ve got this, Maeve. You’re stronger than you think.”

Frank barked softly at my feet, his small but sturdy presence grounding me.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves.

“Okay,” I said finally. “Let’s do this.”

Nova smiled, and a hint of pride filled her eyes. “Good. The first step is understanding your own power. Once you do that, Gideon won’t stand a chance.”

Keegan stepped forward slowly, keeping his eyes fastened to me. “But you have to be ready for anything. Gideon plays dirty, and he won’t stop until he gets what he wants.”

“Great,” I muttered. “No pressure or anything.”

Ember chuckled, her voice low and sharp. “Welcome to the fight, Maeve. It’s about to get interesting.”

As the weight of their words settled over me, I felt a strange mix of fear and determination.

I didn’t know what the future held, but one thing was certain: I wasn’t going to let Gideon win. Not without a fight.

The truth was that I didn’t understand what was so important about keeping Stonewick standing, but I knew in time, I would.

And for now, that was good enough for me.