Chapter Thirteen
I woke to a soft rustling in the living room below with a gentle hum of voices filtering through the floorboards.
I was unsure how I got up to my bedroom, but I was grateful to be stretched out in a bed instead of the chair I last remembered.
The sunlight bouncing off the snow and streaming through the curtains made me squint. It felt like mid-morning, which was way later than I usually slept, but after last night’s high-stakes illusions, the scuffle with Gideon, and the last-minute rescue of Dad, I supposed I deserved a bit of rest.
Downstairs, I heard Bella and Keegan laughing. I immediately recognized her airy giggle as though she might break into a playful yip at any second. Pushing aside the soft blanket, I sat up and ran a hand through my hair, wincing at the tangles.
My mouth felt dry and my limbs heavy, but curiosity pricked me. What were they talking about that was so amusing? Rarely did Keegan and I get to laugh about things. It was always running from one crisis to the next, or me begging for answers that weren’t quite ready to be given.
A strange stir of jealousy poked my gut.
But I rolled my eyes to stop myself from being ridiculous.
I’d just gotten out of a twenty-year relationship where merely saying the man’s name made my stomach churn, and I needed a spell to make his name turn bitter on my tongue. I was clearly not in any shape to be flirting with Keegan.
Besides, Bella and Keegan had a lot more in common. It would be a pairing that made sense. He was a seasoned warlock shifter. She was a seasoned witch shifter. I stood, stretching until my spine gave a satisfying pop, and rummaged for fresh clothes among the hodgepodge of spell-related clutter piled with loose pages, notepads, and the occasional half-bent bundle of dried sage.
The faint shudder in the walls reminded me that my dad was still giant-sized,and when I peeked out the window, I saw him sleeping.
I suppressed a grin.
We’ll fix that size issue soon enough.
At least he was back at the cottage.
When I moved down the steps of the loft, the savory scent of breakfast sausage wafted up from the kitchen and mingled with the sweet tang of fresh tea.
My stomach rumbled, and I followed the aroma downstairs, careful not to trip on Twobble’s random contraption he’d left by the worn dining room table. I couldn’t even begin to guess what it was supposed to be.
I saw Keegan and Bella sitting near the window, staring at a spell book with their heads close.
Keegan’s broad shoulders nearly eclipsed Bella’s slight frame as she pointed out a line in the text. They laughed at some witty remark I missed, and that prick of jealousy nudged me again. My brows furrowed, but I forced a casual grin onto my face and headed to the kitchen before tripping on a rug.
“Oh, morning, Sleeping Beauty.” Bella smiled at me.
Why did she have to be so nice?
I turned around and grinned.
“We didn’t want to wake you. You deserved the rest.” Her words were chipper, and she closed the book they’d been looking at.
“Thanks. I guess I was more worn out than I realized.”
Keegan smiled warmly, eyes glinting with relief as he stood. “You feeling better? That was quite a show last night. I’m still in disbelief we have Frank the Giant outside.”
I chuckled.
“Speaking of your dad, I fed him some sausage and he seemed to like it. It was funny. When I woke up to check on him, Karvey perched himself on his forehead as if it were a mighty cliff. I think the gargoyles kind of like the new perching option.”
I grinned. “I’m sure my dad was thrilled.”
Bella chuckled.
Just then, the front door banged open.
Twobble barged in as he balanced a small wooden crate in his arms.
He gave me an exaggerated salute. “Finally decided to join the rest of the living, I see,” he declared.
“I’m not completely used to this magical life. Just because there are nights that I toss and turn or times when I can’t sleep for days since the change, I still get tired,” I said, teasing.
“Amateur.” Twobble rolled his eyes and set the crate on the table.
“Breakfast is ready,” Stella called from the kitchen. “Come and get it.”
My stomach growled again, and Twobble skipped the line, heading right in before me.
I chuckled and shook my head before glancing in the box. “Hey, that’s my spoon collection. How’d he get that?”
I reached into the box, noticed some of Celeste’s baby items at the bottom, and walked into the kitchen with a full heart.
“How in the world did you get this stuff, Twobble?”
He held a plate with his bony fingers and shrugged his slender shoulders. “What do you mean, how did I get it? I took your storage key, went to the storage unit, and grabbed some stuff to make your cottage feel like home.” He shook his head and bit a piece of sausage. “Obviously.”
Every single day, I grew a little more attached to my green friend.
“That’s really thoughtful of you, Twobble.”
“It’s not like you’ve had much chance to make this place home.” He polished off the first sausage patty.
I bent down and smooched his cheek, and he gasped, nearly dropping his plate. When I straightened, I noticed his cheeks were bright red, visible even through the green of his skin.
“Let’s not go overboard,” he muttered, trudging out of the kitchen.
“He’s fond of you,” Stella whispered.
“It does appear that way, and I’m particularly fond of him.” I smiled, remembering the first day he appeared at my door. I literally thought the divorce had made me lose my mind.
“I went grocery shopping for you this morning. Your fridge is stocked, the cabinets are full, and the recipe book is easily accessible.” Stella handed me a plate piled with scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast.
“You’re too good to me.”
“I just know you have a lot on your plate.” She smiled. “No pun intended.”
I chuckled and sat at the table with everyone.
A wave of gratitude washed over me as Stella set a mug of coffee in front of me.
“Thank you, not just for breakfast and coffee.” I glanced at Bella, Keegan, Stella, and Twobble. “To all of you for everything.”
Keegan arched a brow. “For what?”
“Not losing your minds when you found out I forgot about having a spell to change my dad back to size, or not telling you I would make him into a giant in the first place. You know, little things like that.” I took a bite of eggs and chewed quietly.
“It’s what we do.” Keegan’s lips pressed together, and he nodded.
“Well, thank you.”
Eventually, after the plates were cleaned and the hamper nearly emptied, a restless energy sparked in my veins again.
Bella was telling Keegan all about the family she left behind, and Keegan seemed genuinely interested, which was good. They needed a distraction.
And I needed a distraction from them.
“Guess I should go check on Dad,” I said, standing. “He was napping earlier, so who knows if he’s awake and wrecking the woods.”
“I’ll come with you,” Keegan offered, pushing his chair back. But I shook my head gently.
“That’s okay.”
“Let them have privacy,” Bella whispered to Keegan.
Keegan paused and nodded with curiosity in his eyes. “All right. Holler if you need me.”
Twobble snorted, but I didn’t wait for further remarks.
I slipped out the front door, letting the gentle morning sun bathe my face as the rays bounced off the brilliant snow.
My dad was curled up next to the cottage like an oversized stuffed toy the size of a Midwest mountain. His head resting on his paws. Karvey was perched on his forehead, wings folded, and his stony expression was calm. The sight made me grin.
“Hey, Dad,” I called softly.
My dad’s ears twitched, and he cracked open a massive eye. A short, rumbling huff escaped him, a dog’s version of a greeting.
Karvey, stoic as ever, rose in a slow stretch of stone wings and hopped down to the porch with a small thud.
He nodded once at me and flew to his crew.
I placed a hand on Dad’s thick fur and smiled.
“You doing okay?” I asked.
He let out a low-pitched whine that vibrated through the ground
“I know. This isn’t ideal. But it’s better than being with Gideon, right?”
Dad snorted and exhaled a gust of dog breath that ruffled my hair. I laughed, despite the stench of leftover breakfast sausage.
“I miss her,” I whispered, with a voice barely above a breath. “Grandma. I miss her a lot and feel guilty about not being there more at the Academy.”
Regret. A longing to see his mom ran deeper than words. He lowered his massive head and rested his forehead gently against mine, and I had to close my eyes against the tears.
“And I know you do, too.”
Dad’s big brown eyes met mine, and the world felt still for a moment.
In those familiar eyes I saw something that nearly shattered me—grief.
“Is there anything you want me to tell her when I see her next?” I asked softly. “I’m going there soon to find a spell to get you back down to size.”
He let out a soft whine and nudged me gently with his nose, trying not to knock me over with his sheer size. It was answer enough.
“Okay. I’ll take it back to the Academy. She’ll know.”
Bella’s muffled laughter rang through the air, and I pouted my lips. My dad cocked his head slightly and studied me.
A twinge of jealousy reared again.
I felt foolish for it.
I had no claim on Keegan. But why does their connection sting?
Dad’s enormous head moved slightly, his big brown eyes rolling to focus on me. I could almost imagine him raising a canine brow in question.
“Yeah,” I admitted, voice subdued, “I’m being silly.”
He blinked, as though urging me on. The fact that he still managed to convey fatherly concern in that humongous bulldog face warmed me more than any spell could.
I exhaled and leaned against his furry cheek.
“I’m… uncertain, Dad. About the Academy, whether I can lead it, about my place here. Gideon is still a threat, and I keep messing up spells.” I gestured to his massive form. “You’re a prime example of me not thinking things through.”
He snorted again to acknowledge me, and that’s all I needed.
“Maybe that counts for something.”
Dad let out a low whine and nudged me gently with his nose as I closed my eyes.
“It’s just… seeing Keegan and Bella being so close, so quickly,” I continued, surprising myself by the honesty of my words. “I feel ridiculous being jealous, or maybe it’s not jealousy. It’s fear. I guess it’s fear that I’m in over my head with all this magic, and with leading the Academy, with… everything. It’s dumb, right? With not even knowing what Keegan is in my life.”
Dad’s giant paw shifted in the snow and scraped a shallow trench. He let out a muffled grumble.
I laughed weakly, tears drying in the chilly air.
“I guess we all want to feel needed or important,” Isaid. “And I want to open the Academy so badly, but I can’t do that until Gideon and the curse is dealt with. And even then, what if I fail? Or will it take opening the Academy to break the curse?”
A faint growl rumbled the branches, and I knew Dad was giving me some fatherly scolding in the only way he could.
“Right,” I conceded. “You’ve always believed in me.”
I patted my dad’s cheek again.
“Thanks, Dad. Somehow, you know how to bring me comfort.”
The cottage door creaked open, and Keegan came outside. He wore a wide grin with a book tucked under one arm, and it was hard not to notice how good-looking he was.
“Everything okay out here?” Keegan’s hazel eyes fastened on mine, and the familiar feeling of warmth pulled at my heart.
“Just perfect,” I said, rubbing my dad’s chin. “I’m anxious to get to the Academy and find a spell to turn my dad back.”
“Well, that’s why I came out. Twobble might have stumbled onto one.” He handed the book to me. “Page eleven.”
“Seriously?”
He shrugged, a sheepish grin edging his lips. “Of course. We’re in this together, right?”
My cheeks warmed, and I realized it didn’t matter whether Keegan and Bella were a thing. What we had was special enough, whatever it was.
“Right.”
“Nova will be so annoyed that she left last night.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “My little cottage has become quite the hangout spot. You’d think she’d know we’ll manage to get into a little chaos every day here.”
I turned to page eleven and scanned the spell briefly.
Keegan’s grin turned more playful. “So, that’s the plan to shrink Frank. You ready for that brand of chaos?”
I gave my dad one last pat and stepped away from his muzzle. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Bella, Stella, and Twobble wandered outside and glanced at me.
“Did you find it?” Twobble asked.
“Yes. It looks perfect. Nice work,” I told my goblin friend.
“It’s all a day in the life of…” Twobble nodded, never one to be shy of his accomplishments.
I chuckled as a hush followed that brimmed with promise.
For the first time in a while, the plan felt straightforward. I just needed to recite a spell, undo the size enchantment, and ensure my dad’s mind was still free from Gideon’s darkness.
And then I’d finally get to go to the Academy to work on breaking the curse. The last thought made my heart soar.
“Let’s shrink a bulldog,” Twobble announced, wiggling his eyebrows.
Stella raised her teacup. “To not flattening half the woods in the process.”
“Good luck,” Bella chimed in, eyes sparkling.
As magic faintly swirled at my fingertips, I stepped forward and finally took a deep breath. This was the moment I’d been waiting for.