Page 76 of Magical Mischief

“You just wanted to save me.”

“My magic was always modest, not like Elira’s. When it came down to it, I didn't trust myself to keep you safe. I told your dad, but he refused to leave. Felt it was our family’s duty to fight Shadowick’s curse since his mom was trapped inside the Academy.”

My chest tightened.

“Why didn’t you tell me any of this before?”

She sighed. “Because I felt you deserved normalcy. I wanted you to have a life free of lurking shadows and hidden curses. I believed leaving Stonewick was your best chance at that. But it seems fate, or perhaps magic, had other plans.”

“We can’t escape our destiny.”

My mom laughed and nodded. “My only hope now is that mine doesn’t involve endless cruising.”

I chuckled and nodded. “You’ve always loved to travel.”

“I still do.” She eyed me fondly. “But really, honey, I thought I was protecting you. I still hope I did, even if it cost me your trust.”

Her words squeezed my heart, and I knew I probably would have done the same with a young Celeste.

“You were trying to keep me safe. I get it.”

“And though it broke my heart to leave Stonewick, I'd do it all over again to ensure your safety.”

I felt warmth spread through my chest at her acknowledgment. “You could still return, Mom. Stonewick is different now. The Academy is reopening. People will be returning and reuniting—witches, fae, shifters. It's becoming the place it was always meant to be, inclusive and hopeful. Before the divide.”

For a moment, she hesitated, the possibility flashing behind her eyes. Then she shook her head softly. “My path diverged too far from Stonewick, Maeve. But yours leads directly here. You belong in Stonewick and in the magic. You've always belonged here, even when I couldn't see it.”

“But it doesn’t have to be separate paths. Maybe staying here would heal something in you, too.”

She considered that quietly, sipping her tea.

“Perhaps one day, I will stay. I never stopped loving Stonewick, Maeve. But sometimes love is complicated, and you have to let go of something you cherish deeply so it can flourish without you.”

I looked around this hotel room and tried to understand what all she was telling me. She wasn’t just talking aboutStonewick or magic but also me. She had stepped away, hoping I would blossom without her burdens.

The silence between us lingered, punctuated only by the gentle tick of an antique wall clock. I knew there were still so many things left unsaid, shadows of the past that hovered between us, unresolved. And there was one shadow in particular that refused to leave my mind.

“Mom,” I finally said, my voice quiet. “Can I ask you something about Gideon?”

She glanced up sharply as surprise flickered in her eyes before fading to a careful wariness.

“Gideon? What about him?”

“Did you know him when he was younger? He would have been around the same age as Keegan. I’m just trying to understand him better. He hates Stonewick so much, and I don’t know why. Do you have any idea what could have made him that way?”

My mom hesitated and pressed her lips together.

“I knew of him. Gideon’s family has always been deeply connected to Shadowick. They were involved in the village's priesthood for generations. The family has always been respected in Shadowick. I knew his parents had great expectations for Gideon, especially since he showed so much potential at such a young age.”

“From what I’ve heard, Gideon’s family was overjoyed when he decided to study magic. He was sharp—remarkably talented even as a boy—and they’d always dreamed he’d become a shadow priest. Someone who could guide Shadowick spiritually and help reconnect our two communities throughmagic and tradition. They believed he might be the leader who would heal old divides.”

“What do you think changed?”

“I really don’t know. But something shifted when he was around fourteen or maybe fifteen. He was still just a kid. But it was like a light inside him flickered then turned into something else. One moment he was studying, admired by elders from both villages, and the next... he was different. He made a lot of waves from a young age.”

“How different?” My stomach twisted.

I could feel the pieces falling into place.