Magical Musing (Stonewick Magical Midlife Witch Academy #2)

Chapter Twenty-Four

I stepped out of the Ward and into the crisp night air, my breath curling into soft clouds as I inhaled deeply. The mood inside had been suffocating in its own way—too much to process, too many emotions swirling in a space that pulsed with ancient magic.

I barely took two steps forward before I smacked right into something solid.

Something warm.

Something Keegan .

I let out a quiet oof and staggered back as my hands instinctively flew up in surprise.

My gaze traveled upward, past the broad expanse of his chest, until I met his piercing eyes.

"Uh-oh," I muttered.

Keegan’s lips twitched, amusement flickering behind his usual brooding exterior. "Uh-oh?"

I cleared my throat and attempted a casual chuckle, though my heartbeat was still trying to slow down. "Funny, finding you here."

"Isn't it?" His voice was dry. "I went to your room to bring food since I was told you hadn’t ordered any room service."

I scowled, tilting my head. "And who exactly told you that?"

Keegan's gaze flicked away for the briefest moment before he sighed. "Frank."

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

He huffed. "Your dog."

I crossed my arms. "Right. And how, exactly, did Frank tell you?"

Keegan waved a dismissive hand. "It’s a shifter thing."

I narrowed my eyes. "I don’t believe you."

"That’s your problem," he muttered, before turning on his heel. "Come on back. Your burger’s getting cold."

I stood rooted to the spot, watching as he strode off like he had already decided I would follow him. Which, to be fair, I probably would. But that didn’t mean I would make it easy for him.

"I didn’t ask for a burger," I pointed out, trailing behind him.

"You also didn’t eat dinner," Keegan shot back without looking over his shoulder.

“It’s the middle of the night.”

“Does hunger know time?”

I opened my mouth to argue, then promptly shut it. Because technically , he wasn’t wrong. My stomach grumbled in betrayal.

Keegan smirked. "Told you."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, be quiet."

As we walked through the yard, opened the gate, and locked it behind us, I glanced behind me to see a few more windows light up.

He didn’t seem mad.

Annoyed? Possibly.

Amused? Maybe.

I followed Keegan inside the hotel and didn’t look at Ember. I didn’t want to get her in trouble because I was confident Keegan thought he could count on her to be his spy.

Little did he know…

The scent of garlic fries and bacon immediately hit me when we returned to my room. The room service tray sat on the small table in my suite.

I sighed, plopping into the chair with exaggerated effort.

"I’m only here for one night. You didn’t have to go through the trouble."

“Technically, you’re here for a few hours,” he said flatly. “You’re tough to keep track of.”

“Details.”

Keegan leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. "You were out sneaking around in the middle of the night. I figured feeding you would keep you from passing out somewhere inconvenient."

I took a dramatic bite.

"So thoughtful of you," I mumbled around the mouthful.

Keegan just watched me, his expression restrained, though his lips twitched at my sarcasm. "What were you doing at the Ward?"

I swallowed and shrugged. "Just... looking around."

His gaze sharpened. "And?"

I opted for a half-truth. "I saw some interesting things."

Keegan exhaled sharply.

"Of course you did." He pushed off the wall and moved toward the chair across from me, dropping into it with a heavy sigh. "You really can’t help yourself, can you?"

I smirked. "Nope."

We just sat there for a moment, me eating, him brooding. It was almost... nice.

Almost.

"So," Keegan said after a pause, his tone deceptively light. "What else did you see?"

I licked some sauce from my thumb. "Just some memory flames. No big deal."

He laughed. “The forges have ignited.”

“I guess I bring that out in them, too.”

"Yep." He chuckled. “You have a way about you.”

“It puts things in sharper focus.”

He exhaled through his nose, running a hand down his face. "Let me guess. You’ve decided the Academy has to open sooner rather than later."

I grinned. "You do know me."

Keegan shook his head. "You’re impossible."

"Thank you."

"That wasn’t a compliment."

"Still taking it as one."

Keegan sighed, rubbing his temples. "You realize this makes you an even bigger target, right?"

I popped a fry into my mouth. "Oh, absolutely."

Keegan stared at me like he was debating whether or not to strangle me. "And you’re still going to do it."

I swallowed and met his gaze. "I have to."

He didn’t argue. He just watched me, amusement flickering in his eyes before he leaned back in his chair. "Then I guess I’ll have to stick around a little closer, won’t I?"

Certainty casually spread through me since he made it sound as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

Like it had always been inevitable.

I didn’t let myself overthink it. I just smiled and took another bite of my burger.

"I suppose you will."

He sat back in a chair and looped his hands behind his head, stretching his muscular legs in front of him, but the smirk on his face couldn’t be denied.

"You already knew everything I just told you, didn’t you?" My brows lifted in annoyance as I leaned back in my chair, arms crossed.

Keegan smirked, the dim lighting catching on the sharp angles of his face.

"I did, but it sounds more hopeful coming from your lips."

Shaking my head, I stuffed a few fries into my mouth and grunted.

"How does it feel to walk around town knowing all of this relevant stuff while keeping it from me?"

"Do you think it would have even a smidgeon of the impact if you hadn’t experienced it yourself?" He tilted his head slightly, watching me with that frustratingly unreadable expression.

I scowled at him, chewing aggressively. "That’s a cop-out."

"Maybe," he admitted, leaning back in his chair, his gaze still fixed on me. "But it’s also true."

I huffed and picked at my food, knowing I wouldn’t win this argument. And that annoyed me more than anything. Because as much as I wanted to be mad at him for keeping things from me, I knew he wasn’t wrong. There was something about experiencing the magic, the mysteries, the danger—that made it all real in a way words never could.

And Keegan, damn him, knew that.

I took another bite of my burger, chewing slowly as I studied him.

"So, what now? Are you going to start actually telling me things, or am I supposed to just stumble into them like usual?"

His lips twitched. "You seem to prefer stumbling."

I groaned and let my head fall back against the chair. "Keegan."

His chuckle was low, almost fond.

"All right, all right." He set his forearms on the table, his expression turning serious. "What do you really want to know?"

I exhaled, shifting in my seat. There were a million things I wanted to ask, but one kept circling back in my mind.

“How did you know I was in town that first night?”

“Of all the things you could ask, that’s what you came up with?”

“I’ve wondered it for a long time.”

“I always kept tabs on you from a distance. Nova would help.” He smiled. “But that night, you made it easy. Stella recognized you immediately, and she phoned me.”

“She called you? That was it? No fancy spells or magical alerting systems?”

“Nope. Just a phone call.”

I chuckled. “This is nice.”

“It is.”

“I want you to know that even though I might get a little crabby at the lack of information thrown my way, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me over the years.”

“My pleasure.”

“Was it, though?”

He merely smiled.

“It won’t be in vain. Stonewick Academy will thrive again, and the curse will be lifted.”

“I hope so.”

“I know so.”

“And that’s why you’re here.”

A slow breath escaped me as I absorbed his words. He wasn’t wrong. I felt it in my bones, the same way I felt the pull of the Academy when I first stepped inside.

It wasn’t just about opening doors or teaching students. It was about restoring something. Something bigger than just me.

And Gideon had to know that.

I pushed my plate away and met Keegan’s gaze with renewed determination

“So… you’ve been watching me all these years.” I let the words hang in the air between us.

Keegan smirked, dropping his arms to rest his hands against his hips. “That surprises you?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Let’s just say I had a few eventful years that made me doubt you were watching closely.”

His gaze flickered with bemusement.

“I never said I was watching every second,” he admitted, the teasing edge in his voice softening. “Just enough to make sure you were okay. That’s all your father ever wanted.”

His words sank deep.

I raised an eyebrow. “So, what does ‘keeping an eye on me’ mean? Were you lurking in the bushes? Hiding behind lampposts? Or just dramatically brooding in the shadows like a classic leading man?”

He let out a low chuckle. “If I say brooding, will it earn me points?”

I pretended to think about it. “Depends. Were you brooding with intent or just for the aesthetic?”

His grin widened, a rare, boyish expression that made something warm curl low in my stomach.

“Intent could get me in trouble,” he admitted.

I rolled my eyes. “Great. So, I had a mysterious, brooding, part-time stalker. That’s not at all unsettling.”

He shrugged.

“It wasn’t all that dramatic. Just checking in when I could. Making sure nothing came crawling out of the dark for you.” His smirk softened into something more serious. “You were important, Maeve. Are important.”

My breath hitched for a fraction of a second before I covered it with another playful quip. “And here I thought you just had a thing for complicating my life.”

“Oh, I do,” he said smoothly. “Because complication with you leads to good things.”

That made my pulse skip. I kept my expression even, but he had to know what he was doing. His voice dipped just slightly, and his eyes lingered a fraction too long. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he enjoyed making me flustered.

I huffed, glancing away to break the moment. “Well, next time you’re watching me, maybe give me a heads-up. I could’ve at least offered you a drink.”

Keegan let out another low laugh. “You wouldn’t have believed me if I told you.”

I sighed dramatically. “Probably not.”

He leaned in just slightly, voice dropping. “But you do now, don’t you?”

I turned back, meeting his gaze. A beat passed between us, thick with unspoken things. I swallowed.

“Yeah. I do.”

And somehow, that changed everything.