Magical Musing (Stonewick Magical Midlife Witch Academy #2)

Chapter Seven

My mind drifted, pulling me back to the countless hours I’d spent at the Academy, which often equated to days in the real world.

The towering shelves of ancient books, the faded scrolls, and the delicate whispers of pages turning under my fingers. The history of Stonewick was outlined in meticulous detail, stories of magical folk whose abilities had shaped entire generations and the relentless curse that had woven itself into the town's fabric like an unwelcome thread over the last forty years.

I pored over timelines and traced the remnants of the curse, but I still knew little about any of it.

Each fact felt like a puzzle piece I couldn’t quite fit into the bigger picture because I knew so little about the overall life of a mystic.

The enormity of it overwhelmed me.

It wasn’t just a curse—it was a living thing, evolving with time, adapting, learning how to break people from the inside out. And now, that same curse was trying to break Keegan.

And ultimately, Stonewick.

A chill skated over me, and my chest tightened. Guilt and frustration swirled like a tornado.

It was impossible not to think of the curse and keep Gideon from my head.

And Shadowick.

Everything was tied together.

I’d spent all that time studying, reading, and trying to understand how to help, and I didn’t even know how long it had been.

But standing here with Keegan made it feel like none of it mattered because I couldn’t help.

What was the point of knowledge if it couldn’t save the people I cared about?

Nova must have sensed the spiral I was tumbling into because her calm but firm voice cut through my thoughts.

“Maeve. Her hand brushed my arm. “I know what you’re thinking. That maybe you should be back at the Academy, buried in books, trying to find an answer.”

I swallowed hard.

“I just—what if the answer is there? What if I’m wasting time here when I could be—”

Nova shook her head, stopping me mid-thought.

“No one wants this curse reversed more than the people in this house. But right now, we need you here. Keegan needs you. Experiencing the wrath of the curse, the hope in the room, and the worries of one another… will be what feeds you, builds your confidence, and finds answers you’ll need. The Academy is special and full of wonderful facts and tidbits. But think about what it thrives on and who it teaches.” She eyed me. “Midlife Witches. Witches in the prime of their lives with life experience to gleam from. Being here is as important as being there. And maybe the Academy has learned from its mistakes.”

Her words settled over me and anchored me in place.

She was right.

I could drown myself in ancient texts and magical theories, but none of that would change the fact that Keegan was fighting a battle that couldn’t be won with words on a page. There was something to be said for real-world experience, but I had so little in the magical realm that it was laughable.

But right now, he needed something more immediate.

Someone present.

Someone who wouldn’t walk away.

So, I nodded, pushing down the gnawing feeling of helplessness, and followed Nova back to his room.

The door creaked softly as we stepped inside. The air was heavy, thick with the remnants of magic and something else, something raw and fragile.

My eyes found the bed, where the crisp white comforter rose and fell gently, the only sign that Keegan was still breathing, still holding on.

Frank remained at the foot of the bed. His small, wrinkled face was etched with concern.

I moved closer, and my pulse quickened. Keegan had become such a grounding force in my life, an incredible friend…

Seeing him like this, vulnerable and stripped of his usual stoic armor, was almost too much.

But I didn’t look away.

I couldn’t.

Nova stood silently beside me as Stella watched from a chair in the corner.

I reached out and brushed my fingers against Keegan’s damp forehead.

His warm skin was slick with sweat. Beneath it, I could feel the faintest tremor. His body fought against itself, against the curse woven into his very being.

Every ten years, he had to face this.

“I don’t know what to do,” I whispered. “But I’m here for you, Keegan.”

Nova’s hand rested gently on my shoulder

I felt useless but slowly sat on the edge of his bed.

My fingers linked with Keegan’s, and I just watched him.

Even nearing this change, this indescribable shift, he was beautiful. I didn’t know if his fighting spirit made him so attractive or that he was just…handsome.

Stella’s footsteps tapped softly against the worn wooden floor, and her voice broke through the heavy silence like a fragile thread of normalcy.

“Maeve, do you want some tea?”

I let out a small, dry chuckle, trying to summon even a flicker of lightness to push back the thick weight in my chest.

“I’m not sure I want you around my tea.” I grinned at my vampire friend.

Stella’s lipstick-red mouth turned up. “That was only one time.”

“It only took once to be memorable,” I teased. “And once is enough for a lifetime.”

Stella laughed, the sound bright and familiar, like a tiny spark in the darkness.

“Where’s the fun in that?” she quipped, her eyes glinting with that mischievous spark she always carried, even in the most serious of moments. But then her face softened, her hand brushing against my shoulder as she added, “I promise. Just plain old chamomile.”

“Then, yes.” I smiled and let out a slow breath.

Stella nodded, her gaze lingering on Keegan momentarily before she turned to leave, her footsteps fading down the hall.

Frank, who’d been a statue at the foot of Keegan’s bed, finally moved.

He shifted with a soft grunt and waddled over to me, settling heavily at my feet. The warmth of his thick body was comforting. I’d missed him at the Academy. I’d missed everyone.

I reached down and ran my fingers over the folds of his wrinkled face. His soft fur was silkier than I remembered.

“I’ve missed you so much.”

Frank’s dark eyes met mine, full of that inscrutable bulldog wisdom, and for a moment, it felt like he understood every word.

I glanced around the room. The flickering fire cast long shadows against the walls, making the space feel both timeless and fragile.

Like Keegan.

“How long have I been away?” I asked.

Nova didn’t answer right away. She pressed her lips together in a fine line.

She hesitated longer when her eyes met mine, knowing I wouldn’t like her answer.

“How long?”

“Longer than you think.”

I frowned, glancing back at Keegan’s still form, his face pale against the dark fabric of the pillow. “It felt like… a day. Maybe two.”

Nova nodded slowly. “As you know, time moves differently in the Academy. It’s… unpredictable.”

I swallowed hard, the realization settling over me like a heavy cloak. “Well?”

“Almost two weeks.”

My breath caught in my chest. Two weeks. I’d been gone for two weeks while the town kept spinning.

And then Keegan got hit with this. Fighting this here—alone.

Before I could respond, Stella reappeared with a mug of tea, the steam curling into the air, carrying chamomile's familiar, calming scent.

She handed it to me, and I took a sip.

“Christmas is only a week away.” Stella shook her head. “It’s hard to believe. Things have just been…”

“Moving quickly,” Nova filled in.

I wrapped my hands around the mug. The heat seeped into my cold fingers, and I stared into the pale tea.

Christmas.

The thought felt distant as I borrowed it from another lifetime.

But as I sat next to Keegan, I realized this was my life now.

And no matter how overwhelming it felt, I wouldn’t run from it.

Not anymore.

I’d confront things head-on, unlike in my marriage when I waited for the signs to be clear as day and the pain to be as sharp as a knife.

The warmth from the chamomile tea seeped into my hands, but it did little to thaw the ache settling deep in my chest.

“Nova.” I sighed.

She looked up from her seat by the window with a patient and calm expression. Her demeanor was always like that. The truth was that she held the answers to questions I hadn’t even thought to ask yet.

“Have you heard from Celeste?” The words tumbled out in a rush, quicker than I intended, but they hovered in the space between us, fragile and sharp once spoken.

Nova’s face softened, and she nodded slowly. “Yes. She texted you yesterday.”

I’d had a recent habit of leaving my phone on the table in the cottage’s kitchen for good reason.

My heart quickened with a strange mix of longing and relief.

“And… what did she say?” I prompted.

Nova set her tea down, folding her hands in her lap.

“I hope you don’t mind,” she began cautiously, “but her dad offered her a ski trip to Aspen for Christmas… and she accepted. I pretended to be you and told her it was a great idea.”

The words hit harder than I expected, not out of jealousy or resentment, but a sudden, sharp awareness of how much time had slipped through my fingers—how many days had passed without me even realizing it.

Nova continued, her voice gentle.

“She felt awful about going, but I told her it was wonderful to experience new places and that you were proud of her.” Her eyes stayed on mine. “She is very loyal to you, Maeve.”

“I know, and I never told her what happened between Alex and me. I couldn’t…”

“You didn’t have to.” Nova winked. “She’s smart like her mom.”

“I worry her loyalty could be a problem,” I confessed. “A danger to her.”

“Take each day as it comes.”

I nodded slowly, trying to swallow the lump forming in my throat.

Nova told her the right thing. Celeste deserved joy, adventure, and normalcy—all things I couldn’t guarantee right now.

“Thank you,” I whispered, meaning it more than Nova could know. But beneath the gratitude, an ache grew.

I needed to see my daughter before Christmas.

Before she left for Aspen.

Before I lost more time to the strange, altering days in Stonewick and the Academy.

“I have to see her before she leaves,” I said quietly.

Nova didn’t argue. She just nodded, her understanding reflected in her steady gaze.

Because even with curses, magical academies, and shadowy threats looming, nothing mattered more than that.

Than her.

My daughter.

“I just don’t know how to do that.” I looked over at Keegan and reached for his hand. “But I won’t go until he gets better.”

“It can be days or weeks, Maeve,” Nova said softly. “We never know from decade to decade. I understand you need to go see your daughter. I would make those plans and know that Keegan is in good hands with Frank, Stella, and me for the day. He wouldn’t want anything else.”

I smiled and nodded.

Of course, he was in good hands. They’d been dealing with this for decades already.

But something about it felt different. Maybe it was because I'd only just realized how deep Keegan's sacrifices ran, or maybe it was because my heart was tethered to too many places at once.

I rubbed my temples.

“Nova, can you tell me more about the shifters and the Fae? Why did they abandon Stonewick exactly? What happened?”

Nova tilted her head slightly. Her gaze turned distant.

“It wasn’t one event. It was a slow unraveling. The curse fractured not just people but alliances, trust, and hope. Shifters and Fae are bound by ancient ties to the land and their own survival codes. When the curse spread, it infected more than magic—it infected hearts.”

“But Keegan stayed,” I whispered, my fingers tightening around his hand.

Nova nodded. “Keegan refused to abandon his post. He resisted the pull to fracture because his sense of duty outweighed the fear the curse instilled. Maybe it was because he was so young or he saw what happened to your father….I don’t know. But he knew the last thread holding Stonewick together would snap if he left. If he let this fall, every district nationwide could crumble too.”

“And his parents?” I asked quietly, remembering when someone mentioned they hated the cold and moved.

I suppose that was one way of putting it.

Nova's face softened with sadness. “They left. Like many others, they couldn’t fight the curse’s influence. Keegan was young but brave. He knew he couldn’t let the darkness win. If the curse was powerful enough to divide his family, he recognized it could conquer a town and all the magical folk within it.”

I stared at Keegan, my heart aching. “So, he stayed to protect Stonewick… and me?”

Nova gave a small smile. “Why do you think he watches over you so closely?”

I shook my head, overwhelmed. “But the curse, it’s killing him, isn’t it?”

“Slowly,” Nova admitted. “But not if we find a way to break it.”

I squeezed Keegan’s hand gently as determination settled in my chest. I might not have all the answers, but I knew one thing for sure.

I wouldn’t let him face it alone.