Page 30 of Magical Mischief

“In not so many words, and it’s one of my many talents.”

“You speak sprite?”

“I’m well-versed in many languages, cascading the mortal and immortal plains. It’s not necessarily about language, more about meaning.”

My eyes narrowed on her. “So, you could actually teach quite a few courses at the Academy.”

“I suppose that’s one way of looking at it.” She grinned.

“And the book sprites gave you this for me?” I looked up at her. “Did they tell what I needed inside or…”

“They didn’t give me those kinds of details. Mostly, they were just frantic.”

Stella rolled her eyes. “Book sprites. They’re more chaotic than a roomful of hungry new vampires, but usually, they know what they’re doing.”

I stared at the book, and the faint glow of runes danced along its cover.

“It’s from the Academy’s main library?” I asked.

“It was in a locked section, too. Bizarre, because the sprites guided me right through.” She shrugged. “I guess they trust you with the secrets.”

I chuckled. “And obviously you, too.”

It felt like another good sign about Bella. The Academy already trusted her with private matters.

Things were going to be okay.

I just needed my dad back in the tea shop.

“Thanks,” I whispered, resting a hand on the worn leather. “I wonder why they think I need it now.”

Stella drummed her red-painted nails on the table. “Open it, darling. See what’s inside.”

I exhaled, letting the comforting smells of the shop wash over me, as I took a deep breath in.

Aside from my newly repaired cottage, this tea shop had become my second refuge. It felt as if I were flipping through a magic book at a casual tea party, not planning how to outmaneuver Gideon in a few hours, but that was all that had consumed me since I revealed to Keegan everything that happened.

Sure, I invited Gideon to Stonewick, but I didn’t exactly have a plan to distract him or make a trade go awry.

I carefully undid the little buckle on the cover and opened the book. The first page depicted moving glyphs. They were reminiscent of Miora's incantations for stone.

Flipping further, I spotted spells for illusions, incantations for weaving protective charms, and even references to cunning deceptions to conceal one’s aura.

This wasn’t exactly beginner-level material.

And I was very much a beginner.

But I needed to find something to ensure my dad’s safety and mine. It needed to be a wild distraction where Gideon would lose himself for a second.

A split second.

That was all I needed.

“So,” Bella asked, leaning forward, “anything jumping out at you?”

I shook my head just as I saw it.

The answer to the question I didn’t even know to ask.