Page 126 of Magical Mischief

I swallowed hard, suddenly unsure how to say goodbye.

“I’m glad you came,” I said, surprised that I meant it.

“So am I,” she whispered, then added, “I’ll be out by evening. Just have to pack the last of my sweaters and convince the gargoyles to forgive me for leaving.”

I laughed again, tears stinging the corners of my eyes. She squeezed my hand, then looked over my shoulder at Keegan, still lingering in the doorway.

“You keep her safe,” she told him.

“Always.” He nodded and glanced at me.

“I don’t know what’s in store for Stonewick.” My mom looked at Frank and then back at me. “But something tells me, big changes are coming.”

“Love you, Mom.” I hugged her, and she turned and walked to her car.

Keegan stepped beside me. “You ready?”

“Yeah. I’ll just head off out back.”

He nodded. No argument. Just his hand brushing mine, quick and warm.

And I wondered how much of what I’d said earlier stuck with him. I wasn’t even sure what all spewed out from that spell, but it didn’t seem to change anything between us. There wasn’t any awkwardness, just understanding.

I stepped off the back porch, zipped my coat, and turned to him.

“Hey…can we not mention my aversion spell fiasco?”

He smiled and tapped his chest. “Your secret is safe with me…or should I say secrets?”

I shook my head and laughed.

And so I went. I didn’t feel like taking the goblin tunnels. The woods felt protective, and I was certain I’d sense the perimeter of the Academy when the time came.

But all I knew was that something was waiting for me there—answers maybe, or truths I hadn’t been ready to hear until now.

Because that was how Stonewick always seemed to work.

Chapter Thirty-Two

The path up to the Academy felt longer than it looked. Maybe it was the way the trees leaned in at odd angles, or how the ground sloped in that slow, creeping way that made you think you were almost there… and then you weren’t.

But I finally saw the stone arch come into view through the trees, just past a low curtain of ivy that hadn’t been there the last time I visited.

The Academy rose ahead of me as the front steps stretched wide and empty, morning light catching on the cracks in the old stone. The wooden doors stood open, just a sliver, and I could already smell the familiar scents.

I stepped inside, and Bella was pacing in the grand entry hall when I walked in, arms crossed, hair falling out of its braid. She looked up, and the tension in her face broke into something like relief.

“Took you long enough,” she teased.

“My mom made a surprise visit. She’s leaving Stonewick.”

“Really? That didn’t take long.” She smiled, brief but real, then gestured for me to follow. “Come on. I need to show you something.”

I laughed nervously. “I figured that was why I came, and I have some news for you, too.”

“Oh, yeah?”

I nodded. “I think our visitor in the Butterfly Ward might be fae.”