Page 54 of Magical Mischief

“Feisty,” I whispered to Twobble, and he shook his head and wandered into the kitchen.

I let this moment wash over me and savored the normalcy of friends bickering over trivial things.

This was the best part of Stonewick that centered me here more than anything. That feeling of coziness amid chaos and friends in the midst of turmoil.

Keegan and Bella headed outside, and I let everything wash over me in this quiet moment.

My dad, though giant, was here. We had solutions to hunt down, but nothing was impossible.

I hurried to peek out the window and stifled laughter as he tried to nudge his nose in front of the door without flattening half the cottage.

“Dad!” I called softly. “Back off, you’re going to squish the front porch.”

He heaved a gargantuan sigh to apologize and stepped back a few paces.

The entire ground gave a trembling bounce as his paws settled. Through a small gap in the shutters, I caught the reflection of his enormous eye, blinking at me sadly.

My heart clenched with compassion.

“It’s okay,” I whispered, pressing my palm to the glass. “We’ll fix this. You’ll be back inside with the rest of us where you belong.”

Footsteps sounded behind me. “We managed to secure an invisible fence of sorts.”

Bella tripped and Keegan caught her. “Sorry. That’s not like me.”

I frowned. No, it wasn’t. She was as graceful as…well, a fox.

“It’s probably time to feed my dad,” I said, glancing at Keegan.

Bella perked up at that. “I can do a spell for ground turkey and brown rice.”

“Perfect. Thanks.”

“Works in a pinch.”

Nova returned from rummaging in a closet, holding a worn notebook, and I sat on the couch. Exhaustion churned through me, but I didn’t want to fall asleep just yet. So much from Gideon’s past swirled through my head. It felt like I was so close to connecting the puzzle pieces.

Keegan and Stella patrolled the perimeter, ensuring no meddlesome mels wandered by, though the occasional rattle shook the cottage when Dad moved or tried to scratch his hind leg. Twobble dozed off in a corner, arms folded, muttering in his sleep in some language I didn’t recognize.

“You need rest, Maeve,” Nova said softly.

I smiled wearily, letting my head droop momentarily when Keegan and Stella returned.

“Yeah, I guess. But I can’t shake the feeling Gideon’s about to spring another trap. He rarely backs down quietly.”

“No,” Keegan said softly, sitting beside me, “he doesn’t. But you’ve done enough for one night. Let him stew in his failure.”

His presence comforted me, as did the quiet devotion of Stella, Nova, and Bella drifting in the corners of the room. Even Twobble, snoring softly, was part of this weird little family.

In the hush of night, I believed for a moment that Stonewick could remain this cozy and signal a place of foundfamily, laughter, and magic that only served to protect, not harm.

A deep rumble shook the cottage again, and I jolted upright before realizing it was my dad shifting in his sleep.

The windows rattled with his snores, and I heard Stella giggle.

Eventually, my eyes fluttered shut as I slumped further into the cushions. I felt a blanket drape over me, courtesy of Stella or maybe Keegan. The flickering firelight danced behind my eyelids, and I embraced the coziness whirling around me.

We’d find a remedy tomorrow, and the next day, we’d worry about Gideon. But tonight? Tonight, I cherished the silly, magical chaos that made this place, and us, so wildly alive and free.