Chapter Twenty-Five
“I’m going to get that Academy open and churn out students before it even knows what’s coming. But first, I need a teacher or two.” I slipped into bed, stretching under the thick, luxurious comforter, and reached over to scratch behind Frank’s wrinkly ears. He let out a pleased little snort, then, without any shame or warning, promptly let out a loud toot.
I groaned, half laughing, and rolled onto my side, waving a hand in front of my face.
“Great. Thanks, Frank, for keeping my ego in check,” I muttered, pressing my nose into the pillow. “You’re probably right. It’s a pretty lofty thing, thinking I can convince the Academy to open up.”
Frank huffed in response, curling into a lazy ball at the foot of the bed as if he hadn’t just deflated my moment of self-importance with a single, well-timed fart.
I sighed, tugging the blanket tighter around me. Exhaustion weighed heavily on me, and yet sleep wasn’t coming easily. My mind spun with everything Keegan had said, everything Nova had revealed, and the pressing reality that I was somehow supposed to be a part of waking Stonewick from its cursed slumber.
I tossed onto my other side, then back again, my thoughts colliding like fireflies in a jar. Eventually, I let out a long breath and closed my eyes, forcing myself to let go. Just for tonight. Just for a few hours.
Then— thud.
My entire body tensed.
Frank’s ears perked up.
“All I wanted was sleep. Just…sleep. How hard is that?”
Another thud, heavier this time, a dull, solid impact against the balcony. My heart hammered against my ribs as my mind scrambled for explanations. A tree branch? No, there weren’t any close enough. A bird? At this hour?
Frank let out a low, questioning whine, his wrinkled face lifting toward the window.
Slowly, as if any sudden movement would alert whatever was outside, I peeled the comforter off and slid my feet to the floor. The room felt impossibly still, like the air had thickened, waiting.
I swallowed hard and crept toward the heavy curtains. My pulse turned into a drumbeat in my ears. My fingers hovered over the fabric briefly before I carefully pushed one side back—just enough to get a glimpse of the balcony.
The breath caught in my throat.
There was something out there.
And it was watching me.
I slid the curtains back fully and pried one eye open, half-expecting something sinister, half-preparing to fight for my life.
Instead, I found Karvey and Trinity perched on the balcony’s ledge, their stone forms eerily still in the dim moonlight.
Relief flooded through me, though a flurry of questions quickly followed it. I exhaled, pressing a hand to my chest to steady my heartbeat before reaching for the French doors. The cold metal handle sent a shiver up my spine, but I pushed the doors open anyway, stepping onto the balcony with Frank waddling beside me.
Karvey turned his head. His stone features shifted slightly in the soft glow of the streetlamps below. His wings stretched slightly before settling back into place, his gargoyle form still as a sentinel. Trinity, perched beside him, simply stared ahead, unblinking.
I frowned. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be protecting the cottage.”
Karvey’s expression remained impassive as Frank plopped down at my feet. His wrinkled face turned up toward the two gargoyles like he was waiting for an explanation, too.
“Orders have changed,” Karvey said finally, his deep voice carrying over the wind.
I narrowed my eyes. “Orders from who ? And what exactly are your new orders?”
There was the faintest pause before Karvey cleared his throat and exchanged a look with Trinity. Then, in the most measured tone I’d ever heard from him, he replied, “To keep you safe at all costs.”
I folded my arms. “And?”
“I am not at liberty to discuss who we get our orders from.”
Frank let out a soft snort, which I interpreted as an agreement with my rising irritation.
Karvey turned back toward the street below, clearly signaling that the discussion was over. I was about to protest when something—or rather, someone —caught my attention.
Stella.
She was walking down the sidewalk, her steps slow, deliberate. Even from up here, I could tell she wasn’t just out for a casual stroll. There was purpose in her stride. She stopped and glanced up at me, waving her hands frantically.
I turned back to Karvey and Trinity, who remained silent but didn’t seem surprised in the slightest to see her.
“Let me guess,” I muttered, rubbing my temples, “this has something to do with her.”
Neither of them answered, which only confirmed my suspicions.
I motioned to Stella I’d meet her below.
Without another word, I stepped back inside, shutting the French doors behind me. Frank trotted beside me as I made my way toward the door, slipping on the first pair of shoes I could find before heading downstairs.
When I reached the lobby and stepped outside, Stella was already waiting at the bottom of the hotel steps.
“Fancy meeting you here,” I said, raising a brow.
She offered a small, knowing smile. “You’re not going to like what I have to say.”
I sighed, rubbing my temples. “At this point, I have a very high tolerance for things I don’t like.”
Stella chuckled but didn’t waste any time. “We need to talk. Somewhere private.”
I glanced up toward my balcony, where I knew Karvey and Trinity were still stationed, and then looked back at her.
“Fine. Come on up. I think sleep is done with me for the night.”
She nodded, her expression growing more serious.
“Honestly, it’s overrated.”
“Says an immortal who doesn’t need it.”
She snickered. “You don’t need as much as you used to, though, do you?”
I grinned as we walked back inside. “So, what’s got you roaming the streets at night?”
“Nervous energy, I suppose.” She glanced at Ember. “And I heard something at the local bar.”
“Stella, I didn’t know you frequented that place.”
I hadn’t been there yet, but leave it to my nearly two-hundred-year-old vampire friend to hang out there.
“They have it all decorated cute for the holidays,” she teased.
As soon as Stella stepped into my hotel suite, she inhaled sharply, then exhaled through her nose like she’d just walked into a crime scene.
Nose twisted and lips puckered.
"Wow. It’s like someone bottled up a roadkill special and let it ferment here."
From his spot on the couch, Frank lifted his head just enough to glare at her, then flopped back down with a grumble.
“Frank let one rip earlier.” I sighed and kicked the door shut behind me
Stella ambled further inside, pausing at the coffee table to inspect the sad remains of my burger.
She leaned in, squinting. “Are you going to finish this, or should I alert its next of kin?”
“You’re on a roll tonight.” I grabbed a throw pillow and launched it at her head.
She caught it effortlessly, looking too pleased with herself, and dropped onto the couch like she’d been invited.
Even at her age, I could never compete with a vamp’s speed.
I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes.
“All right, enough about the ambiance I provide. Will you tell me why you’re here, or should I set out some snacks and pretend this is just a casual visit?”
“I wouldn’t have pestered you if it wasn’t important.”
That sobered me a little.
I sat down across from her. “Go on.”
She studied me momentarily, then said, “I think something big is happening here.”
“Bigger than the curse and Shadowick?” I arched a brow. “That’s a pretty high bar.”
“I mean right now ,” she clarified. “Something’s shifting. And I don’t think it’s just about Stonewick anymore.”
My stomach twisted. “Shifting how?”
“For one thing, the Academy.” She gestured vaguely in its direction. “The gargoyles are suddenly your personal security team. The Ward is lighting up like a Christmas display. Keegan is stress-pacing.”
I frowned. “Keegan paces ?”
“Metaphorically,” she deadpanned.
I sighed and rubbed my temples. “And you’re telling me all of this because…?”
She exhaled slowly. “Because someone—or something —tried to breach the Academy’s Wards tonight.”
That snapped me upright. “All of them? Even the cottage?” The Stone Ward had been through enough.
Frank, sensing my energy shift, let out a concerned grunt.
I stared at her. “You’re sure?”
Stella gave me a look. “Would I be sitting in your Fragrance of Regret suite if I wasn’t?”
I let out a deep breath.
She leaned back. “Keegan’s already checking for weak spots. But you…” She tilted her head. “You need to be careful. Because whether you like it or not, you’re the reason things are shifting. And that makes you a target.”
“Keegan has made that clear, but he didn’t mention it had to do with someone attempting to breach the Wards.” I thought back to the fire sprites.
I opened my mouth, then closed it. Because, for once, I had nothing remotely sarcastic to say.
From the moment I learned of the Wards, I understood that they lent to Stonewick’s balance and helped to protect the village and the Academy. To what degree, I hadn’t learned entirely. But after going into the Flame Ward, I understood a little better. Each of these Wards had a purpose and a place providing protection; if one went down, it put more pressure on the rest. If all of them went down, the Academy would be completely vulnerable.
“Start from the beginning. How did you find out someone tried to breach the Wards?”
Stella sighed, stretching her legs out in front of her. “You know how Ember has eyes and ears everywhere?”
I nodded.
“Well, she heard something tonight. A guest checked in—a mage passing through. Said they felt a shift around the Wards when they were walking back from dinner. Not just a fluctuation, but an actual disturbance in the Wards. Like something was testing them. She alerted Keegan.”
I felt the weight of that settle on my chest. “Testing them for what ?”
Stella shrugged. “Weaknesses. Or maybe just to see if anyone was paying attention.”
I dragged a hand down my face. “And we’re sure this wasn’t just a magical fluke?”
Stella gave me a flat look. “Maeve.”
I groaned. “I know, I know. Wishful thinking.”
Frank let out a low huff, wishing for more straightforward explanations.
I stood up, pacing the length of the room. “Who else knows?”
“Besides me, Ember, and now you?” Stella drummed her fingers on the arm of the couch. “Keegan. And if he knows, you can bet Nova knows, too. Not to mention most of the customers at the bar…”
My stomach twisted.
“Word travels fast in Stonewick.”
“How can you be sure the visitor wasn’t inside the bar?”
“Only our kind go there this time of night.”
I thought back to everything Nova had told me tonight—the flames, the memories, the knowledge base that fueled the ward’s protection. If someone—or something—was testing the Academy’s defenses, it meant they were looking for an opening.
Which meant we might be running out of time.
I turned to Stella. “I have to go to the Academy.”
She lifted a brow. “Tonight?”
“Yes, tonight.”
She folded her arms. “And what exactly do you plan on doing when you get there? Yell at the walls to be stronger?”
I shot her a look. “If something disturbed the Wards, maybe the Academy can point me in the right direction.
Stella considered that. “Okay. But you’re not going alone.”
“You’re going to follow me in?” I rolled my eyes and headed for the door, trying to ignore the tightness in my chest.
“Not me. The Academy would kick me clear to Milwaukee.”
I chuckled. “Then who?”
She glanced toward the balcony.
“But let me get this straight.” I folded my arms, my fingers tapping against my elbow. “You’re telling me that Nova and Keegan already knew about these possible breaches and just decided not to tell me?”
Stella had the decency to look a little sheepish. “They were going to tell you—”
“When? After I stumbled into danger again ?” I threw up my hands. “Oh wait, they already took care of that by assigning me my own private security detail. ” I jerked a thumb toward the balcony, where Karvey and Trinity were probably still standing, staring stoically into the night like the world’s most judgmental lawn ornaments.
Stella sighed. “They were trying to keep you safe.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Everyone keeps trying to keep me safe, and yet I’m the one who keeps being plopped right in the center of chaos.”
Keegan and Nova could pace the perimeter of the Academy all night, but they wouldn’t get through the gates to ask questions or let the Academy guide them.
I could.
Which meant if something or someone was testing the Wards, I had to be the one to figure out what was happening.
I pulled on my coat, my movements brisk. “I’m going in.”
Stella’s eyes widened. “Right now?”
I shot her a look. “No, next week. Yes, right now.”
She huffed, but there was a hint of amusement in her gaze. “You have a real problem with authority, you know that?”
“I prefer to think of it as a healthy problem with authority.” I buttoned my coat and slipped on my gloves. “Listen, I need you to let Keegan know where I went, but wait until I have enough time to get inside.”
Stella gave me a long look. “You know he’s going to be furious .”
“I am counting on it,” I muttered, grabbing my scarf and wrapping it around my neck.
She chuckled. “Fine. But if you get yourself into a situation you can’t handle…”
“I won’t hold it against you.”
I stepped toward the door, but before I could leave, Frank lifted his head from the couch and let out a little snort, looking thoroughly unimpressed with my plans.
“I know, I know,” I sighed, scratching his ears. “But somebody has to do the stupid thing, and tonight, that somebody is me.”
I stepped into the cold night air, heading straight for the Academy.