Page 97 of Magical Moonbeam

I touched the corner of the page, and it flared warm against my skin.

A fresh message, but from whom?

And why leave it here, where I may or may not find it?

I didn’t take it with me. I didn’t want to disturb whatever left it behind. Instead, I whispered a preservation spell over thepage, the words catching in the back of my throat like old dust. Then I stepped back, heart thundering.

The path wasn’t straight.

It was spiraled.

Which meant…

Gideon wasn’t just waiting.

He was twisting.

Changing the shape of the path itself.

Or maybe that was my job.

And Moonbeam wasn’t a simple opening. It was layered. A mirror that showed different faces depending on how you looked.

I backed out of the room, sealing the door with a flick of my hand and a whispered enchantment from the forge. It was one Ardetia had taught me earlier, meant to cloak thought and hold memory.

I needed time to sort things out, but I didn’t have it.

Moonbeam’s Eve was nearly here.

And the path to Shadowick was already shifting.

I rounded the next corner quickly, almost expecting to run into someone, but the hallway remained empty.

For now.

The Academy wasn’t just watching me anymore.

It was listening.

And I had to make sure it heard the right things.

I was halfway down the second-floor corridor when I rounded a corner too fast and nearly collided with a velvet-wrapped force of nature.

“Oof—watch it, darling,” Stella said, catching me by the arm before either of us could topple. Her voice, as always, was equal parts theatrical and affectionate. “You’re walking like something’s chasing you.”

“Something might be,” I muttered.

Behind her, Keegan stood leaning against the stone arch, arms crossed, looking far too amused for someone I’d nearly taken down in the process. “Told you we’d find her pacing.”

“I wasn’t pacing,” I said, brushing my hair out of my face. “I was walking with purpose.”

“To what end?” Stella asked, her eyes narrowing like she already knew the answer and didn’t approve. “Planning to sneak back to Shadowick again? Because if you are, I’ll hex your boots to sing sea shanties every time you move. You need rest.”

“Please don’t,” I said with a dry smile.

Keegan pushed off the wall, his brow furrowing slightly. “Look, I know tomorrow is going to be full of spells, wards, strategy, and whatever else Moonbeam has in store, but tonight?”

Stella looped her arm through mine before I could answer. “Tonight, we’re going to town. You, me, him”—she pointed a dramatic finger at Keegan—“and whoever else we gather on the way. We’re going to eat something fried, drink something that sparkles, and maybe dance a little if our joints don’t betray us.”