Page 8 of Magical Mission

His grin returned, crooked and proud. “Guess I do.”

And the Academy, silent and ancient around us, seemed to hum in agreement.

Twobble was still pacing the room like a tiny, excitable whirlwind, eyes darting from the bed to the desk to the squat stove like he was afraid blinking might make it all disappear, when I felt the air shift behind us.

Soft but undeniable magic stirred.

And sure enough, the soft footfalls came next, echoing down the hallway with a kind of quiet authority only certain people could pull off.

Grandma Elira.

Of course, she found us. She always found me when things tipped toward historic.

But she wasn’t alone.

Beside her glided Bella, her fox-like grace effortless, her copper hair loose over her shoulders, every step precise. And flanking them, the slender figure of Ardetia, whose name I could never pronounce without getting tangled, moved with that infuriating weightless elegance that always made me feel like a lumbering bull by comparison.

They all paused at the threshold, the dormitory hallway stretching wide around us, glowing with a soft, amber light that now seemed like a stage.

Their gazes flicked to Twobble.

And the pause that followed made the cozy warmth crackle into something brittle.

Grandma Elira’s brow lifted, faintly puzzled, though never unkind. Bella’s mouth parted like she wanted to say something but thought better of it. And Ardetia…Well, a fae's expressions were always hard to read, but the faint tilt of her head betrayed surprise.

I could feel it like a punch in the chest.

They hadn’t expected…him.

They’d expected some polished mage from the old bloodlines. Maybe a shifter scion. A bright-eyed witch from the North.

Not Twobble.

Not a goblin.

But I stood my ground, heart thundering, and stepped forward.

“Perfect timing,” I announced, with all the confidence I didn’t quite feel. “You’re just in time to meet the Academy’s first student.”

Bella’s eyes flicked to me. “First… student?”

“That’s right,” I said, looping an arm protectively around Twobble’s shoulders. “Twobble. Officially accepted.”

Twobble puffed up, his chin wobbling as he tried to look impressive. “Yup. That’s me. First.”

Ardetia blinked slowly, her expression as unreadable as ever. “A… goblin.”

I heard the hesitation in her voice, the undertone of confusion.

And maybe even doubt.

But my hackles rose.

“Yes, a goblin,” I said fiercely, squeezing Twobble’s shoulder. “And if you ask me, thebest possible choice.He’s been more loyal to the Academy and to Stonewick than anyone I’ve ever met.”

Twobble let out a squeaky cough and angled his face away from them all, but not before I saw the shimmer of tears in his eyes.

“He’s never once given up on this place,” I pressed on, my voice trembling under the weight of all the things I’d never said before now. “Even when it threw him into the brambles. Even when no one else believed. He kept fighting for it. Kept believing in it. And in me.”