Chapter Two
We’d spent what felt like hours winding through Twobble’s intricate goblin tunnel that started under the cottage grounds. The maze smelled of damp earth and whispered secrets of old magic I’d yet to learn.
Brilliant pieces of Goblin Gold twinkled with a luminescent shine as we walked in the narrow passageway.
It was hard to believe the first time I’d been here was with Twobble when I still didn’t know if the Academy planned on accepting me or throwing me into the next town.
Everything since stepping into Stonewick had been a whirlwind, and this moment was no different.
I had my dad.
I lost my dad.
To say magic had a circular way of living was an understatement.
I couldn’t focus on stopping the curse until I got my dad back. The Academy couldn’t open until I had enough teachers, and the Wards couldn’t protect as well without students to feed the magic.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Bella asked, glancing over at me. Her human form held the essence of her fox body with every lithe movement and calculated gesture.
When I looked at Bella, I could not help but see the animal version of herself, so controlled and confident.
There were moments in my life when just getting out of bed was a feat.
“It’s hard to believe such a world exists under the streets of Stonewick.” I shoved my hands deeper in my pockets. “I haven’t used any other goblin tunnels, just the one to get me to the Academy.”
Her smile widened as her eyes scanned the goblin’s transportation network. “Maybe we'll explore after we get your dad back.”
I stepped over a boulder as a creeping vine wrapped around one of the pebbles. “That would be nice. I bet my dad would love to come down here.”
We walked in silence for a little while.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Bella said softly.
“What has?”
“We’ve been waiting for our call so long that I almost thought it would never come.”
I stopped walking and turned to face my new friend. “Your call? To the Academy?”
She nodded. “We need this curse to be broken, Maeve. We really do. The divisions are only getting worse.”
“When you say we…” My voice trailed off.
“The magic folk in general, but particularly the shifters.” Her eyes stayed on mine. “The clans are getting restless. They’re fracturing even more amongst themselves.”
“And you think the Academy opening will help?”
“Indeed. Opening the Academy, strengthening the Wards, and breaking the curse are all vital for the survival of our kind.”
She seemed much more inclined to give information than most anyone I’d encountered in Stonewick so far, and because I was used to cryptic responses and vague answers, her openness made me a little suspicious.
“Where do you live?”
“Well, at the Academy now, I suppose,” she said with a smile. “But before coming here, I lived with my family on the upper peninsula.”
She said it as if it were the most logical answer. It was just a den of foxes doing what foxes did up north, except their bodies pulsed with magic.
But that was just it. She wasn’t a fox unless she wanted to be, or was it that she wasn’t a human unless she wanted to be?
“I don’t know if this is too personal, but…” I swallowed down the anxiety. “But did you live as a fox or a human?”
“Most of the time, we stay in our human forms, but there are many times a month when we feel the need to shift and become one with nature.” She shrugged. “Generally, the moon guides us.”
“And you feel the curse is causing even more division among the shifters?”
“I don’t feel it. I know it.” Her expression grew solemn. “There’s so much turmoil between clans. Pettiness is multiplying. It’s why I left at once when I finally got the pull to come here.”
“Did you know anyone here in Stonewick?”
“Not a soul,” she said as I walked the last little bit down the tunnel.
“Don’t you find it odd that the Academy selected someone like me to be its headmistress when there are so many people with magical abilities and experience who could probably do a way better job?” I studied her. “Like you?”
“The Academy knows magic can be learned. What it searches for is a pure heart and life experience. Good intentions.” She nodded. “The willingness to learn, to make mistakes, and to never give up. A solid bloodline doesn’t hurt either, and I’m pretty sure my great-uncle screwed that up for our clan. He was no good.” She snickered, which brought a smile to my lips. “No good at all.”
“So, why wouldn’t the Academy hold my divorce against me when I gave up on my marriage?” I asked over my shoulder.
Bella gasped and reached for my hand. She pulled me to a stop and studied me closely.
“What?” I questioned.
“Maeve, ending your marriage wasn’t giving up. It was the exact opposite. You gave yourself a chance at life, at living. If you stayed in that marriage, it would have been like giving up on yourself, and that’s far worse.”
Her words rang truer than I cared to admit. I’d never thought of it that way, but she was right.
I smiled and nodded. “Thank you. It’s nice to hear that perspective. I’ve just been trying to deal with everything here in Stonewick and all the feelings of failure from a divorce and my daughter leaving…” I shook my head and chuckled. “I just feel like the least likely woman who should have been chosen for the Academy. If the Academy got into my head, it would see I was a complete mess.”
Bella shook her head. “Not a mess. I call that magical chaos. It’s how our brains work to sift through all the worries, anxieties, and unknowns that will eventually lead us to the right choices.” She shrugged. “Embracing magical chaos is much better than being a know-it-all. That’s not what Stonewick Academy is about. There are enough people out in the world pretending to be perfect. Stonewick Academy doesn’t want perfection. It wants potential.”
I chuckled, liking my new fox friend that much more. “You have a great way of looking at life.”
“Two divorces will do that to a person.”
My brows lifted in surprise.
“It’s true, and I think it’s that last one that ensured I’d become an instructor at the Academy. The guy played dirty, but I played dirtier, and something tells me that it will come in handy for our students.”
I smiled as we walked the last bit.
Finally, we reached the heavy wooden hatch above. I hesitated momentarily before pushing it open.
The cool winter air rushed in like a promise of freedom.
I stepped out first and stumbled over my foot as I blinked to adjust to the moonlight above.
Behind me, Bella emerged gracefully from the tunnel, her eyes shining with quiet determination.
Of course, she looked radiant, with her golden hair shimmering with copper and bronze highlights from the moonlight.
Together, we paused, taking in the breathtaking expanse of the grounds while the world welcomed us with a tranquil hush.
A distant murmur of wind rushed through frost-laden pines, and a palpable sense of ancient magic pulsed beneath the surface as frozen limbs crackled from the ice.
An exhilarating mix of hope and resolve swept through me. Something about having someone else step inside the Academy with me changed the dynamics and made it feel less daunting and isolated.
Bella and I quietly walked along the snow-dusted path toward the towering, ancient doors of the Academy.
The gnarled branches overhead, slithering vines, and glittering foliage were as beautiful as the first day I saw them.
As each step echoed softly in the hush of the winter night, I couldn’t shake the anxious thoughts that danced at the edge of my mind.
Would I be able to find what I was looking for quickly, or would Gideon discard my dad before I could even try to bring him home?
But Keegan’s spell sounded the most hopeful, and it had to be on the pages of one of these books. I only prayed the book sprites would know what I needed.
Bella walked beside me, her graceful, almost ethereal steps a comforting contrast to my jittery pace.
Her eyes shone with a playful light that belied the seriousness of our mission.
Foxes were quite mischievous. That was becoming more apparent with each minute I spent with her, but there was also something else.
As I looked at the Academy ahead, I wasn’t entirely sure if I should share with Grandma Elira the full weight of everything that happened with Malore and my dad, her son.
She thought her son had passed years ago. The thought of letting her know he was alive but then taken seemed cruel.
My heart twisted at the thought of burdening her further, especially since she was my only true family at the Academy.
And yet, the secret was too heavy to keep locked away forever.
I remembered the gentle cadence of Grandma Elira’s voice when she’d first spoken to me about the strange magic that coursed through Stonewick. The magic now felt both protective and perilous. My mind flickered with images of her wise, steady eyes and soft laughter, even as I steeled myself to face the unknown.
She was strong enough.
I needed to tell her.
The towering doors of the Academy loomed before us, ancient and formidable, etched with runes that pulsed faintly with magic. My fingers gripped my wand so tightly in my pocket that the cool wood pressed into my palm. Every inch of my being was charged with the promise of enigmas waiting to be unraveled and secrets lurking in the hallowed Academy’s shadows.
As we approached, I heard the hum of magic as it strained to protect the Academy’s sanctum.
I glanced at Bella. Her eyes held a mischievous glint even in this moment of uncertainty. It was something I had to get used to. Some creatures were always cynical, some were positive, and others were just…mischievous.
From my reading, foxes couldn’t help but find themselves between wonder, mischief, and curiosity daily.
She smiled reassuringly. “Trust me, Maeve. You won’t get trapped in the perils of time.”
“Thank you.” I nodded, but my heart fluttered nervously with every step closer to the door. I wasn’t as worried about time slipping away as I was about her getting blown away.
Sure, she’d managed to walk all over the Academy’s property as a fox, but what about stepping inside? I didn’t want Bella thrown a mile away.
I desperately wanted to believe Bella had been called and that it wasn’t just her fox form that could slip through the Academy’s Wards. We needed teachers, and she seemed extremely forthcoming with information. That’s perfect for a teacher.
Inside, my thoughts tumbled over one another.
Should I tell Grandma Elira that her son was never killed and about his current kidnapping? Should I confess the details of the brutal fight with Malore that had shaken us all? Confirm that her husband wasn’t a good man.
She seemed to know that already.
And then, the great doors creaked open before us. An amber glow spilled into the snowy night, and a gentle, resonant buzz of ancient magic filled the air, welcoming us inside.
Bella was our first teacher.
In that moment, every worry seemed to dissolve into the welcoming light. I stepped inside, and as the door closed behind us, a sense of calm washed over me.
It was as if the very heart of the Academy embraced us.
Both of us.
The Academy silently promised that, despite the chaos outside, a sanctuary would be found here.
And that needed to be expanded. I felt it deep in my soul.
Bella and I walked side by side, our footsteps echoing along the stone corridor. I sensed the gentle thrum of energy, reminding me that magic was alive and well here.
Whenever I stepped inside these walls, it felt ancient, along with a wise force that held secrets and promises for me to discover. I could only imagine how wonderful it would be when students and teachers roamed these corridors.
I looked around, absorbing the beautiful Academy, and felt a subtle reassurance. With its storied halls and protective Wards, the Academy was on our side. It would give me the answers I was searching for, despite my fears about time escaping me here.
I couldn’t ignore the shadow of my father’s absence, and the wound that refused to heal amidst all this warmth and welcome. The truth was that the fear of what lay ahead still tugged at my heart.
I had finally had him back.
And then, in an instant, I didn’t.
Every step deeper into the Academy reminded me that time was our ally and our enemy. Every moment inside these ancient walls could mean answers or an endless delay.
I turned to Bella, whose eyes sparkled with assurance.
“Do you think… do you think I should tell my Grandma about all of this? About her son and the fight with Malore?” I asked softly, the uncertainty evident in my voice.
It was nice to have someone to bounce questions off of instead of them endlessly spiraling in my mind.
Bella’s smile faltered momentarily, and she shook her head gently.
“Some truths must be shared when you’re ready and when the Academy is ready to bear them. For now, trust in the magic that guides you. You’ll know if the time is right.”
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat, and we continued down the corridor together.
We paused near a large arched window where the moonlight streamed in.
“Maeve, you’ve brought company,” Grandma Elira’s voice coated me like hot fudge syrup on a sundae.
I spun around, nodding. “This is Bella. Our first teacher.”
My grandma’s lips curled into a wide grin, and she stepped forward, reaching for Bella’s hand. “Welcome.”
“She was…” I glanced at Bella. “She was the fox I saw outside the other night.”
“Oh, yes.” My grandma nodded, and I wondered if she remembered how she didn’t believe I’d seen one prancing around on the Academy’s grounds.
Grandma Elira’s gaze met mine. “I have just the room for her. Let me get you settled. There’s so much for you to see and do. We must start the preparations.”
I nodded, watching Bella get swept up in my grandma’s energy. This was the moment my grandma had been waiting for.
Without realizing it, several book sprites flew a book to me and waited impatiently for me to open my hands.
“Oh, what do we have here?” my grandma asked.
They unclenched their tiny fingers in unison as the book landed in my palms with a thud.
An embossed wolf on the green leather cover shimmered as I looked down at the chosen book.
“This must be the book Keegan told me about. That’s why I came back so soon. There’s been a few developments, and Keegan told me of a spell that could help us, but it was inside the library.”
I wanted to tell her so much, but I didn’t want to hurt her. She didn’t need to lose her son yet again or hear even more hurtful truths about the man she once loved.
My grandfather…
“I’ll get Bella situated, and you can tend to your business. I know there are pressing matters at hand.” My grandma quickly kissed my cheek, and I wondered how much she knew about what had just happened outside these walls.
Had she looked into the pedestal while I was gone?
Found answers in the mirrors?
I stepped back, clutched the book, and glanced at Bella, who squeezed my hand gently.
“I know it’s hard, Maeve. But sometimes, our darkness makes the light ahead more precious.”
I smiled, a bittersweet, trembling smile. “Thank you, Bella. For everything you’ve done. I’ll be back soon, Grandma.”
As I spun on my heels, my grandma touched my shoulders gently and cleared her throat.
“If you see my husband again…” Her voice trailed off, and I spun around to see her. “Tell him he chose the wrong side in this. Tell your grandfather we will not allow him to make an example of our son, but you will make one out of your grandfather.”
I looked at Grandma Elira, amazed at her strength and resilience, and I knew I wasn’t just doing this for myself.
“I will bring my dad back.”
She gave a quick nod, and I knew I didn’t have to explain a thing.