Page 1 of Magical Moonbeam

Chapter One

“Fake it ‘til you make it.” Twobble elbowed me in the hip and waggled his brows. “Am I right?”

I laughed, the sound echoing brighter than I felt. “Is it that obvious that I don’t know what I’m doing?”

“Only to those who know and love you.”

I raised a brow. “Did you just say the L word?”

“Don’t push your luck,” he grinned, all sharp teeth and mischief.

We stood in the Butterfly Ward, where the wind curled like a sleepy sigh and the blooms, those strange, unnamed flowers, twinkled like pink stars. A soft tingle whispered across my birthmark, not a warning this time, but something quieter… and curious, maybe?

“You’re stepping into this role wonderfully,” Twobble added, hopping off the stone wall and patting my arm. “Even for a human. No one sees your knees knocking under that cloak or your lips trembling when students ask you questions.”

“I don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse.”

Twobble shrugged and flashed a grin at me. “The point is, you’re doing great. Now, I have a class to get to, or Bella might make me pretend I’m a fox and sniff the exterior of the Academy for my tardiness.”

“She wouldn’t…”

“She might. I’ve read about things like that, and I’m not going to fall victim. Shifters have an odd sense of discipline. Shoot. Shifters areoddperiod. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Keegan is no different.” Twobble’s little body spun around with the speed of a tornado, and he walked down the path, leaving the silence of my favorite place to reflect.

A gentle spring breeze rustled the glistening leaves, and a hint of dew sparkled on the hot pink flowers. Everything about the Butterfly Ward seeped comfort into my body. The butterflies shimmered in lazy arcs, like little guardians too polite to eavesdrop. It was as close as I could get to the feeling of being with my daughter, while letting her soar. But there was no changing my reality.

The Wards needed to stay strong.

The dragons needed my loyalty.

The students needed guidance.

The curse needed to be ended.

And I planned on doing that all around Moonbeam.

Another brilliant idea from a brand-new witch who still couldn’t manage a simple food spell.

If I let my mind spiral, I’d panic. So instead, I barked orders and walked around with my head held high, playing the part like I belonged here. And in many ways, I did.

But confidence? That was a whole different spell I hadn’t mastered.

The last couple of weeks had felt like a whirlwind with too much magic, too little magic, too many questions, and not enough sleep. I hugged myself and leaned against the short stone wall, letting the hum of the Butterfly Ward trickle into my bones.

The Academy had opened, and students now filled the halls, laughter and learning spilled into the air like incense, and the Wards thrummed stronger with each new arrival. Stonewick felt safer and brighter.

Gideon was more determined than ever to get past our defenses.

He’d even sent two decoys, and I’d fallen for them both.

The worst part? The Academy hadn’t stopped him or them. Not really. Whether we wanted to admit it or not, we were exposed. The magic was stretching and growing, but it was also testing us.

And until we figured out exactly what was happening in Shadowick, we had to tighten our defenses and outsmart a man who always seemed three steps ahead.

The wind shifted, sweeping up from the trail behind me, and I didn’t even have to turn around.

“I knew I’d find you out here stewing,” Keegan said, his voice wrapped in warmth and something deeper.

I let out a breath and smiled despite myself. “Stewing? That’s a little dramatic.”