Page 2 of Magical Mirage (Stonewick Magical Midlife Witch Academy #6)

I smiled despite myself, walked outside, and stepped into the herb garden, breathing in deeply.

Mint mingled with lavender, rosemary brushed against thyme, and sage waited patiently beside chamomile, all ordinary herbs I’d planted with ordinary hopes, never daring to dream of enchantments beyond their blooms. Yet here stood Stella, an elderly vampire witch in pearls, utterly unimpressed with ordinary anything.

“Have you enchanted an herb garden before?” Stella asked, adjusting her spectacles with one elegant finger.

“I accidentally enchanted a rosemary plant to shed its leaves. Does that count?”

“I think we can aim a little higher.”

“Have you met me?” I chuckled as she lifted her brows and plucked a leaf of lavender, held it to the waning sunlight, and murmured.

The words were old, gentle like the creaking of ancient doors and comforting as a grandmother’s whispered lullabies. My fingers tingled, and warmth surged from beneath our feet.

"Now you," Stella prompted gently.

I mirrored her, holding a stem between my fingers, feeling foolish but oddly hopeful. Stella’s eyes twinkled with quiet encouragement.

I whispered her words, letting them rise to somewhere I couldn’t see.

The garden responded immediately, releasing a collective sigh, leaves stretching toward us as if offering greetings.

Lavender multiplied, weaving elegantly through chamomile, sage surged in enthusiastic waves, rosemary proudly straightened its branches, and mint exploded with enthusiasm, spilling playfully onto the path.

“Oh,” I breathed, stunned.

“Yes, dear. Magic does that,” Stella replied primly. “Tends to be impressive when the spell actually works.”

I laughed and nodded. “I’ll have to remember that.”

I was about to remark something clever when a sudden rustle from the mint patch caught our attention. A familiar pair of goblin ears poked from the mint leaves.

“Twobble!” I laughed as he emerged, cheeks bulging suspiciously, arms filled with leaves as he paused mid-chew.

“Ish… muhb… snhack inshpeckshun,” he explained through a mouthful of mint. He swallowed with effort. “Quality check. You know, just doing my part.”

“You nearly ate that mint plant to the stub,” Stella admonished, tapping a polished nail on her chin. Twobble shrugged sheepishly, still clutching a generous handful of leaves.

We watched in awe as the mint regrew instantly, sprigs sprouting with joy and enthusiasm, waving merrily in defiance of Twobble’s snack attack.

“Well, that’s convenient,” Twobble muttered appreciatively. “Mind if I stay forever?”

“It’s your cottage,” I teased.

“Technically, the cottage belongs to no one.” He swallowed another chunk of mint.

Before I could answer, a voice warm as the late sun and rough with that irresistible edge of humor, drifted from behind me. My breath caught as his words coated over me.

“Having all the fun without me?”

I turned slowly, feeling my heart kick wildly at the sound of Keegan’s voice. But when I saw him, that flutter of joy turned to worry.

Keegan leaned heavily against the wooden gate, hazel eyes bright yet shadowed by exhaustion. Even from here, I saw the pallor of his usually radiant face and the faint tremor in his powerful hands. The curse was taking its toll, more rapidly than I’d feared.

“Keegan,” I whispered, my smile faltering.

“Don’t look at me like that, Maeve,” he teased softly, attempting a cocky grin that barely hid his pain. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine,” Stella countered bluntly, narrowing her blue eyes.

He pushed himself upright, the strain visible. Yet even weakened, his presence still filled the garden, strength radiating beneath the weariness.

“I’ll be fine,” he corrected gently. “Because I’m not alone and to make sure of it, we’re having a little party tonight to celebrate.”

My hands whipped to my hips. “Party? You’re in no shape for…”

Twobble shifted awkwardly, mint forgotten. “Right, uh, I’ll just...continue my inspection over here. Very important work, you know.”

Stella nodded knowingly. “Subtle as ever, Twobble, but I’m right behind you.”

The goblin shot her a grin, already retreating into the herbs, granting us a fleeting moment of quiet.

Keegan met my eyes, the warmth in them undimmed despite the shadows of fatigue. “Don’t give up hope, Maeve. Not when miracles are growing right in your backyard. I never thought I’d see you manage a spell that didn’t end up in smoke and ash.”

He stepped closer, his gaze steady, honest, and so full of trust it made my heart ache.

“Very funny.”

“Besides,” he continued, humor softening the words, “you've enchanted your garden, chased off curses, and survived Twobble’s tunnels. This curse doesn’t stand a chance. You’ll make sure of it.”

Stella coughed delicately. “Charming speech. But curses don’t tend to respond well to bravado.”

Keegan raised a tired brow but ignored her. “The point is, you deserve a celebration tonight, Maeve. Moonbeam happened, and it was immediately business as usual, running the school and trying to keep things together for the last few weeks.”

I blinked in confusion, about to question him, when a faint, musical giggle drifted on the evening air. Bella appeared, her mischievous eyes sparkling.

“But, I don’t think we should be throwing parties in the middle of your…”

“Middle of my what?” Keegan’s mouth tugged at the corner, and I couldn’t help but notice how in command he always managed to be, even when he was facing something I didn’t even want to imagine. Since he wanted to forget the curse that had dug deeper in him for the night, so would I.

I pressed my palms to his chest and let out a deep breath. “Fine. We’ll celebrate a little tonight, release some tension, but then back at it tomorrow morning.”

Keegan let out a deep chuckle. “Are you on some sort of timeline I don’t know about?”

“Yeah, it’s called the keep Keegan around timeline.”

“Are you saying you’d miss me if I weren’t here?”

His words stabbed me in the heart. “I’d more than miss you, but I think you know that.”

“Well, for the record, the party wasn’t my idea. It was Bella’s.” Keegan’s mouth rounded into a perfect circle as he whistled in a pitch that even made the herbs shudder.

“We’ve been through a lot, which is why I’ve invited the crew over to celebrate the end of the spring semester and welcome summer as best we can.” As Bella stepped elegantly into the garden, Twobble gasped dramatically.

“Great. Now the fox is in charge, calling the shots, planning parties. What’s next? The student garden gnomes start stealing my snacks?”

I laughed softly, relieved as Bella’s presence seemed to chase shadows away. Keegan stepped closer still, his shoulder brushing mine as we watched the garden bloom wildly around us, more vibrant and alive than I’d ever seen it.

And for a heartbeat, standing there among herbs, a mint-scented goblin and a fox shifter, an elderly vampire witch, and someone who’d quickly become my heart, I felt lighter, my hope steadier.

Yet, Keegan’s hand slipped gently into mine and reminded me the curse wasn’t beaten, far from it. The garden’s magic whispered around us, promising resilience, renewal, and the endless possibilities of enchantments that bloomed from courage and love.

But then I felt a prick of something dark, the same something I’d felt since Gideon left the Academy. I’d held the worry tight, and as I looked at Keegan, I clutched it even tighter and let out a slow breath as my eyes scanned the woods, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.