Page 78 of Magical Mischief

“Thank you for telling me,” I murmured gently.

“He would be so proud of you, Maeve. I might have run away, but you’re standing strong.”

“Thank you. I hope so.”

“So,” Mom said lightly, smoothing her skirt as she settled into the armchair near the window, “have you told Celeste yet? About you being a witch?”

My chest tightened with instant guilt. Celeste was my daughter, my rock through the divorce, and yet, despite everything we’d been through, this was the one secret I still hadn’t shared.

“Not exactly,” I admitted, cringing a little. “It’s been… complicated.”

She raised an eyebrow, her expression both curious and skeptical. “Complicated?”

“Celeste has a boyfriend, and she spent Christmas with him, her dad, and her dad’s new girlfriend.”

“Sounds fun,” my mom said, lifting her brows.

“It did until I got a call from her today that her dad suddenly started barking on all fours and scared away his girlfriend and Celeste’s boyfriend.”

“What does that have to do with you?”

“I accidentally did it. Alex slipped into my head mid-spell and…”

“Oh no,” Mom said softly, biting back a smile. She knew my history with Alex all too well.

“Yeah.” I sighed. “And before I realized what I was doing, magic got away from me.”

Mom burst into laughter so genuine and full-bodied that I couldn’t help but join in. Her shoulders shook, and tears streamed down her cheeks as she struggled for breath. “Oh, Maeve—of all the things you could have done…that is priceless.”

“We got it straightened out. Celeste probably thinks her dad fell off his rocker, but…” I said between happy tears.

“No harm, no foul.” She shook her head. “When you decide to tell her, it will all make perfect sense.”

I chuckled, and at that moment, my mother’s reassurance echoed softly between us. I truly believed that someday, it would all come together.

Chapter Nineteen

The snow had melted into soft patches around the edge of the cottage and rain had set in for an uncharacteristic January in Wisconsin, but I knew frigid temps would soon return and besides the only thing that mattered was that my dad was back.

My dad.

And now my mom.

My mom.

And it didn’t help that Gideon had gifted me with some visions that I couldn’t trust one way or another. But now, the one thing I never thought would happen, happened. My mom was here, just like Gideon planted.

I leaned back against the counter in the kitchen, cradling a mug of cinnamon tea, and stared out the window. The Academy indescribably beckoned me, and I knew I needed to return soon. There was something pressing with the call to go back.

“Well,” Stella said, setting down a teacup with a satisfying clink in the other room, “if Bella spends any more time staringlongingly at Keegan, I might have to conjure up a matchmaking spell just to set her straight.”

I choked on my tea and glanced at my friend as I made my way into the living room.

“Stella. She does not stare longingly at him.”

“Oh, please. She stares like she’s deciding which sauce would pair best with him,” Stella smirked. “My guess is something spicy.”

Curled up in the armchair with her usual effortless elegance, Nova didn’t even look up. “You’re being ridiculous.”