Chapter Fifteen
The day at Stonewick Teas and Sundries was exactly what I needed. The familiar scent of cinnamon, cardamom, and fresh-baked scones gripped me like an old blanket.
The buzz of conversation, the clinking of teacups, and the occasional burst of laughter from Stella’s interactions with customers made the world feel just a little more normal.
Normal was good.
I needed normal.
By the time evening rolled in, the golden glow from the streetlights cast a soft shimmer over the snow-covered cobblestones outside, and I felt… lighter. The weight of Keegan’s warnings, the Academy’s mysteries, and my own tangled emotions had eased just a fraction.
Stella untied her apron and waved me off.
“Go on, I’ll close up. You look like you could use a visit to someone who can set you straight.”
I grinned, already knowing where she was going with this. “Oh? And who might that be?”
She smirked. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it's a certain tarot reader with a penchant for riddles disguised as advice?”
I chuckled. “That’s exactly who I was thinking of.”
Nova had always been good at her brand of wisdom—never quite direct, but somehow always leading me to the needed answers. Not necessarily the ones I wanted but the ones I needed.
“Thanks, Stella. I needed today,” I admitted, pulling my coat tighter as I approached the door. “Sorry about missing so much work every single time I step into the Academy.”
“All part of the process.” She smiled. “The tea shop will always be here for you. Now go on before you start trying to work through your feelings in the scone batter.”
“Too late,” I called over my shoulder as I pushed open the door, stepping into the crisp night air.
Frank trotted alongside me with his little legs determined as he huffed through the snow.
I pulled my coat tighter around me as we made our way toward Nova’s shop, my boots slipping over the frozen ground.
Nova’s store looked as enchanting as ever. It was tucked into the row of shops with its deep purple paint and gold detailing shimmering under the lantern light. The old wooden sign, adorned with swirling celestial symbols, creaked lightly in the winter breeze. The large bay window was framed with thick velvet curtains, but I could still see the warm glow of candles flickering inside.
As I reached for the door handle, Frank grunted, sitting squarely on the front step as if announcing he was staying put.
“Oh, now you’re picky about where you go?” I teased.
He just blinked at me.
Rolling my eyes, I pushed the door open, the little bell above it jingling softly. The scent of vanilla and cinnamon greeted me instantly, wrapping around me like a spell of comfort.
Inside, the shop was just as I remembered—rich purples and deep blues, the scent of incense curling through the air. The walls were lined with shelves filled with neatly stacked tarot decks, shimmering crystal balls, and jars of mysterious herbs. Strands of twinkling fairy lights draped along the ceiling, casting a dreamy glow over the space.
Nova sat at her usual place behind the long, mahogany table draped in celestial-patterned fabric, a deck of cards in her hands. She didn’t look up right away; she simply continued shuffling with a small smirk.
“I was wondering when you’d stop by,” she mused.
I smirked and flopped into the chair across from her. “Oh, so you knew I’d be here, huh?”
She finally lifted her gaze, her green eyes twinkling with amusement. “I didn’t know , but I had a feeling.”
“Ah, your famous feelings,” I teased.
She tapped the deck against the table. “They’ve rarely led me astray.”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “Well, I need one of your famous non-advice sessions.”
Nova grinned. “Then you’re in the right place.”
She spread the deck across the table, face down, and gestured. “Go on. Pick three.”
I hesitated, then reached out, letting my fingers hover before finally choosing three cards. Nova gathered them up, flipping them over one by one.
The first was The Chariot . The second is The Hanged Man . The third is the Tower.
I frowned. “Well, that’s… ominous.”
Nova tilted her head, studying them. “Not necessarily. The Chariot is movement, determination, and a push forward. The Hanged Man is a pause that forces you to see things differently. And the Tower…” She gave me a knowing look. “That’s the big shake-up. The change that can’t be undone.”
I swallowed. “That all sounds very… accurate.”
Nova leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. “You’re considering leaving for a bit, right?”
I narrowed my eyes. “You do this just to mess with me, don’t you?”
She laughed. “Only a little.”
I sighed. “Yes. I want to see Celeste before she leaves for her trip. But Keegan—” I hesitated.
Nova raised a brow. “Keegan disapproves?”
I let out a small, dry laugh. “That’s an understatement.”
Nova studied me for a long moment. “He’s not wrong to be worried. You are an easy target outside of Stonewick.”
I rubbed my temples. “I know. But I won’t be a prisoner in this town, Nova. Stonewick may have given me freedom in one way, but I refuse to let it trap me.”
She nodded. “Then you have to be prepared. This isn’t just about one trip, Maeve. This is about your ties to this place. Your ties to the Academy. To the curse.”
I swallowed, the weight of her words settling over me. “I can’t just abandon my daughter for the sake of some magical destiny.”
“And no one’s saying you should,” Nova said gently. “But you do need to be smart about it. The Chariot says you’re moving forward, but The Hanged Man warns you to see things from another angle. And The Tower…” she tapped the last card. “Something big is coming. Whether you’re ready for it or not.”
I exhaled. “Great. That’s so comforting.”
Nova smiled. “You’ll figure it out. You always do.”
I wasn’t so sure about that.
But as I glanced at the cards, at the way they seemed to reflect everything I was already feeling, I knew one thing for certain—whatever was coming, I had to be ready.
But I couldn’t stop thinking about my first reading with her and how we ended on The Fool, and then the world around me silenced.
Nova’s eyes studied me, sharp and assessing. “So, you want to know more about The Fool.” She leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, as if debating how much to say.
I shifted, feeling an uncomfortable weight settle in my chest. “I just feel like... a lot has happened since we first did this. And if my path is already shifting, doesn’t that mean my reading could mean something different now?”
Nova exhaled through her nose, shaking her head with an amused smirk. “Maeve, the cards don’t change their meaning just because your life moves forward. They were never just about where you were in that moment. They were about where you were going.”
I frowned. “So, what? My life was always going to be chaos?”
She laughed. “I mean, let’s be honest, you’re not exactly the ‘ease into things’ type.”
I huffed, but she wasn’t wrong.
Nova tapped the Fool card, her fingers resting lightly on the illustrated woman at the cliff's edge. “When we first did this reading, you weren’t ready to hear what this meant. You still wanted control. You were still gripping so tightly to the idea that your life had to make sense. You weren’t willing to embrace the unknown yet.”
“I wouldn’t say I’ve embraced it now, either,” I muttered.
She tilted her head knowingly. “Haven’t you?” She lifted her brows. “You’re rebuilding the Academy, trying to break a decades-old curse, standing in the middle of an ancient magical feud, and debating whether or not to go against a powerful man’s warning so you can see your daughter. Tell me, does that sound like someone still clinging to their old life?”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “I’m just doing what has to be done.”
Nova smiled. “Exactly. You’ve stepped off the edge of the cliff, Maeve. Now the question is whether you’ll trust yourself to land on solid ground—or if you’ll keep looking back, hoping for something familiar to catch you.”
That was an unsettling thought.
I tapped my nails against the wooden table, my mind running through everything that had happened lately. “The first time you pulled this card, you said it was a cautionary card for me that night. But if I’m already moving forward, why do I still feel like this is a warning?”
Nova’s expression sobered. She let out a slow breath and glanced at the cards, fingers tracing the edges. “Because even when you’re on the right path, there are still dangers, Maeve. The Fool represents new beginnings, yes, but it also represents blind trust. You’ve made choices that have set things in motion but don’t fully understand what you’ve stepped into yet. You’re walking toward something bigger than you realize.”
A shiver rolled down my spine. “You think I should be more careful.”
“I think you should be more aware,” she corrected. “This isn’t just about you anymore. The Academy. The town. Keegan.” As she said his name, she gave me a sly look, and I immediately rolled my eyes.
“I swear, you and Stella must have some bet going on about me and Keegan.”
Nova grinned. “Oh, we don’t need a bet. It’s just fun watching you squirm.”
I groaned, rubbing my temples. “Keegan is… complicated.”
“All the best ones are,” she said lightly, sipping her tea.
I ignored that. “You said I was walking toward something bigger than I realized. What do you mean by that?”
She sighed, her gaze turning serious again. “Gideon cast that curse for a reason, Maeve. And it wasn’t just about power or revenge. He wasn’t just angry. He was desperate.”
The shift in conversation was like a cold breeze through the shop. I straightened. “Desperate for what?”
Nova tapped the High Priestess card. “That’s the question, isn’t it? What did Gideon want so badly that he would tear an entire town apart for it?” She lifted her eyes to mine. “And why are you the one who’s meant to fix it?”
A lump formed in my throat. “I don’t know.”
“But you’re going to find out.” Her lips quirked. “And soon, if I had to guess.”
I swallowed. “That’s… ominous.”
She snorted. “Would you expect anything less?”
I took a long breath, my head buzzing with too many thoughts. Keegan’s warning. The Academy’s secrets. Celeste’s upcoming trip. Gideon’s past. It was all tangled together, but I didn’t have the full picture yet.
I reached down to scratch Frank’s head absentmindedly. “So, what’s your advice then, oh wise and mystical?”
Nova smirked. “Trust yourself. Be aware of the signs around you. And don’t let your stubbornness blind you to the people who want to help.”
I raised a brow. “That last one was about Keegan again, wasn’t it?”
She grinned. “Maybe.”
I groaned. “I’m leaving.”
She chuckled, gathering the cards back into a neat pile. “Come back when you’re ready to admit I’m right.”
I grabbed my coat and turned to Frank. “C’mon, boy. Let’s get out of here before she starts pulling love cards.”
“Oh, that was set in the cards long ago, but it won’t be easy, and it won’t be what’s expected.” Nova’s eyes stayed on mine for a brief second.
“What?”
“Another time.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “Of course.”
Nova laughed behind me as I stepped into the chilly night air, her words lingering long after the door shut behind me.
But the one thing that made me feel better was that I wasn’t The Fool anymore.
But I wasn’t sure if I’d truly learned how to fly.