Page 38 of Magical Moonbeam

“Resolved?!” Skonk scoffed. “You think I need a chaperone.”

“Oh, poor you,” Twobble said flatly. He snapped his fingers, and his cousin turned blue before dropping back to his matching shade of green.

“What was that for?” Skonk scowled. “I’m not the one who needs to cool off.”

“Yes, you do.” Twobble turned his nose up at him.

Before I could intervene, Stella arrived, sweeping in like a midnight storm cloud wrapped in crushed velvet.

“You’re drawing a crowd,” she said to me, eyes already scanning the hall. “People are whispering words like attack, showdown, and love triangle. I’m invested. What did I miss?”

“Everything and nothing,” I sighed.

She glanced between the goblins, eyes gleaming.

More footsteps.

Nova entered next, flanked by Bella and Ardetia. Nova’s expression was serene, but her eyes sparkled with intrigue.

Bella headed straight for the tea tray like she owned the room, while Ardetia took a seat near the window, barely making a sound, her presence humming like wind through the trees.

And then came Keegan.

He leaned in the doorway, arms crossed, dark brows raised. “Did I miss something, or is this some kind of magical intervention?”

“More like a family reunion,” I said.

His gaze flicked to Skonk, then back to me, unreadable.

“I leave for one night,” he muttered. “One.”

I clapped my hands to get everyone’s attention.

“Okay,” I said loudly, “before anyone assumes I’ve started an outreach program for rogue goblins, let’s all just pause.”

Skonk beamed. “I’m glad you brought everyone together. I was just explaining how I’ve been officially asked to assist with the upcoming Shadowick expedition—”

I raised a hand and laughed, cutting him off. “I never said that.”

He blinked at me, faux-offended. “But the tone! The wistful stare! The heartfelt monologue on the threshold…”

“I askedquestions.That’s all. You showed up uninvited, rattled off a list of alarming talents, and nearly got drop-kicked into the clouds by your cousin.”

Twobble held up a hand proudly. “Still willing, by the way.”

Skonk ignored him and sat straighter. “Regardless, youwillneed my help. You think that place is going towaitfor you to understand it?”

“We don’t even know theplanyet,” I said. “Which is exactly why I wanted to have this conversationquietlywithout rumors or improvisational goblin performances.”

“You wound me,” Skonk said, flopping dramatically.

Bella sipped from her tea and sighed. “So, whatisthe plan?”

All eyes turned to me.

I hesitated, not because I didn’t have ideas, but because suddenly, in this room filled with magic and sharp stares and a goblin making a throne out of a footstool, the weight of what we were doing felt very, very real.

I glanced toward Keegan. He met my gaze, steady and sure, even if I could still feel the hesitation just behind his calm.