Page 134 of Magical Mischief

I swallowed, heart thudding. “And you felt it?”

She nodded. “The moment you stepped through the Academy gates, Maeve. The Wards awakened, your energy spread, and I sensed it from afar. In dreams, at first, a vague pull, a warmth in my chest. Then images of these halls. I knew I had to come.”

A chill ran through me, not from fear, but from the quiet confirmation that the Academy’s choice extended far beyond Stonewick.

“I’ve been having dreams too,” I admitted, trying not to sound breathless. “Sometimes they’re so real, I wake up confused about where I am.”

Ardetia’s expression softened. “Of course you do. You’re part of this place’s revival, Maeve. The Academy’s magic flows through you as surely as through these halls. It’s only natural that your dreams reflect that bond.”

My stomach tightened with equal parts excitement and nerves. “I guess it still doesn’t feel… normal to me.”

And it didn’t. No one sat me down and explained how this worked. I just had to fumble along the way.

“Nothing about this is ordinary,” Bella interjected, a reassuring spark in her eye. “And that’s kind of the point.”

Ardetia arched a brow, her gaze drifting around the entry hall. “There’s so much potential here…potential that’s been stifled for far too long. My family always believed we’d return one day to help unite Stonewick again. We just didn’t expect someone like you to be the reason.”

I wasn’t sure how to take that, so I cleared my throat, fighting the blush that threatened to color my cheeks.

She reached out. “I didn’t mean it like that. I meant that you’re someone who hasn’t grown up in our world. The magical world, but you are here. You are what the Academy needs. What Stonewick needs, the shifters, us fae…”

“You make it sound like I’m some great chosen hero. But I barely know how to manage my magic. Half the time, I think I’m just stumbling blindly while it does what it wants.”

A small smile tugged at her lips. “Stumbling is often how the best journeys start.”

I sighed, glancing at Bella. “And you want to teach?”

She nodded. “As best as I can.”

Bella nodded eagerly. “Ardetia’s presence is no doubt crucial to this.”

I nodded. “Indeed.”

Ardetia’s gaze sharpened on me. “And so are you, Maeve.”

That old discomfort rose, the persistent self-doubt I hadn’t fully shaken. “I still don’t understand why me. There has to be someone more qualified. Someone who studied magic from birth or has a lineage that—”

Bella laughed lightly, and even Ardetia’s lips twitched in amusement. Bella spoke first. “Magic doesn’t follow neat little lines. It finds the people it wants, regardless of how prepared or unprepared they are. We’re standing in the middle of an Academy for midlife witches. There is absolutely nothing linear about that.”

Ardetia inclined her head in agreement. “And from everything I’ve heard, you’re more prepared than you give yourself credit. My dream was unmistakable, Maeve. The Academy’s heart pulses around you. You’re the one who will unite Stonewick, but it can go both ways. Just as you feed off the Academy, the Academy feeds off you. It’s a great responsibility.”

A wave of warmth flooded my chest, and for a moment, I let myself believe it. For so long, I’d been reacting to events—Gideon’s looming threat, the Wards dwindling, the memory forges, my bizarre spell fiascos. But hearing it from someone else, someone with pointed ears and ancient knowledge in her eyes, somehow made it more real.

I moved across the hall, letting my fingertips brush the smooth stone walls. My voice came out soft, hesitant.

“So, if you’re truly here to unite Stonewick, does that mean you’ll stay?”

Ardetia nodded. “I intend to. If the Academy reopens, new students will need mentors and guardians. The Wards will require strengthening, and the knowledge that’s been fragmented must be gathered again. I have resources my family has kept for generations— scrolls, spells, and records that might help. If you're willing, we can use them to restore what’s been lost.”

I turned back to her, breath catching. “If I’m… willing? I’m beyond willing. I need to break the curse, and we need to get new energy into these walls, the Wards, everything…” I didn’t need to mention my dad or Keegan’s risks with the curse.

She stepped forward, the embroidered edges of her cloak catching the light. “Maeve, from what I’ve heard, you’re the key. The Wards revolve around you. The Academy recognized you. The gargoyles guard you. Even the memory flames stirred at your presence. None of that is a coincidence.”

How did she know all that?

“How did you know about the memory forges?”

“A dream.”