Chapter Fifteen
“Mind if I join you?” a quiet voice asked.
I looked up to see Stella leaning on the doorframe. She held a steaming mug.
“Of course, I don’t mind,” I scooted over.
She sank gracefully and offered me the mug. “It’s apple-cinnamon tea. I promise no spells included.”
I took a tentative sip. The sweet warmth coated my throat and drove away a bit of the chill.
“Thanks.”
We watched the slow rise and fall of my dad’s giant torso in the yard. He’d come around to the back of the house and fallen asleep. I’d come out to check on him earlier, and just didn’t want to leave.
Stella eventually cleared her throat.
“You know,” she began softly, “sometimes spells fail because we’re too caught up in the motions. Not the meaning.”
I turned to her, and my brows furrowed together. “What do you mean?”
She gave a small smile.
“It’s easy to recite a line or wave a wand. It’s harder to feel the outcome and to shape endings from the heart. I’ve seen you do it, like when you first freed your dad from Gideon’s grasp. You manifested the exact result you wanted because you believed it was real. You felt it so strongly that magic followed your will.”
I nodded, letting her words settle over me.
“You’re right. I let my ex infiltrate the spell for my dad this time.”
She chuckled. “But, let’s be honest. That was an important thing to have happen.”
I laughed and shook my head. “Poor Celeste.”
But Stella was right.
All morning, I’d been practicing lines and relying on lumps-of-salt nonsense, but I didn’t truly envision my dad small again. I’d just been going through the script .
Stella studied my face. “Don’t be too hard on yourself, darling. We’ve had a whirlwind of fiascos. But if you want your dad back to normal, maybe you need to channel what you felt last night.”
I closed my eyes, heart pounding. Focus, feel. Don’t just recite.
“We’ll do the spell again,” I instructed. “And this time I’ll get it right.”
“Good, girl,” Stella said, nodding. “I’ll go get the others.”
I took a slow inhale, letting the crisp air sharpen my senses.
I conjured a vivid image with my dad wandering around in his regular bulldog stature, barking for bacon scraps, and giving me a wink now and again.
That was what I wanted. That was what I’d shape and let the magic follow.
Bella came outside and smiled. “Would you like me out here for moral support or back inside?”
“The more, the merrier.” I smiled and took the last sip of tea. “Honestly, I probably need all the moral support I can get in case I do something as brilliant as last time.”
Bella’s eyes sparkled and she grabbed my hands. “Honestly, that was brilliant. I wish I had thought to do something like that to my ex-husbands.”
I chuckled as Keegan stepped outside and gave me an encouraging nod.
Twobble’s green little feet hung above me. He preferred the view from the roof.
Stella squeezed my shoulders, and I smiled as I raised my wand. This was the moment.
“By starlit thread and subtle spark,
We cast aside the giant’s mark,
Release the swell, Restore the frame,
No longer large, Revert the same…”
My words continued, and I let the words sink into my soul, fueling each syllable with genuine longing.
A faint glow radiated, and the air recognized my renewed focus.
My heart pounded as I pictured my dad shrinking. Images of his form deflating from monstrous to familiar ran nonstop as I imagined the outcome so vividly I could almost hear the gentle patter of his normal-sized paws on the snow.
When I didn’t see anything, I didn’t give up.
I repeated the incantation with a low but steady voice.
Each word dripped with warmth and intent.
Suddenly, the air sparked.
A gust of wind kicked up and stirred my dad’s fur. He lifted his giant head in half-sleepy confusion, his enormous eyes flicking around the yard.
For a moment, everything hung suspended. Even the entire forest held its breath.
My wand glowed.
This time, let it work. Let him shrink.
Dad gave a low, rumbling whine as his giant muzzle shook enough to rattle a few tree branches.
Time seemed to slow.
My dad released a startled bark, and its roar echoed off the trees.
I blinked against the burst of light and ignored the stinging wind that whipped my hair with bits of snow in all directions.
Please let it work. Let me see him normal.
The air fell into a hush as the glow receded.
Snow drifted slowly, and I squinted, trying to see my dad through the lingering shimmer.
Behind me, Stella breathed, “Did it…did it work?”
Twobble huffed. “I can’t see. Too many spots in my eyes from that flash.”
Bella half-yipped. “Give it a second. The illusions are dissipating.”
Keegan stepped forward, shading his eyes.
“Maeve?” he called, voice laced with cautious hope. “Do you see him?”
I swallowed as adrenaline coursed through me.
I inhaled sharply with uncertainty.
Behind me, Twobble gave an impatient grunt. “What the heck. Is he a teeny-tiny dog now, or is he still the Hulk of canines?”
Keegan’s footsteps crunched closer, reaching my side. Stella drifted next to me, biting her lip. Bella hovered near the forest.
All eyes were fixed on the hazy space where my dad should be.
I stepped forward and squared my shoulders.
Finally, the fog and magic drifted away.
The shape came into view as a blurred silhouette in the snow.
My chest squeezed.
The group clustered behind me.
Stella’s whisper was the last thing I heard: “Well, darling? Did it work?”
The hazy silhouette in the snow with ears perked and a thick muzzle turned toward me.
It worked. My dad was finally back to his old self again.
A startled laugh bubbled up from my chest as relief spread through me.
“Dad?” I whispered, the single syllable trembling on my lips.
He blinked up at me with those droopy eyes, confusion mingling with a dog’s inherent curiosity, as though checking if we’d done something else ridiculous.
And I… well, I couldn’t hold it in. One moment, I stood stock-still, and the next I let out a little sob of joy and rushed forward, nearly skidding on the snow.
“Dad,” I cried, flinging my arms around his broad bulldog shoulders.
Of course, that meant my entire body crashed awkwardly in the cold slush, but I didn’t care.
He snorted in surprise and gave a muffled bark as my momentum toppled us both sideways. I pressed my face against his fur. Warmth spread through me so fiercely that it stole my breath.
Wrinkly and small.
I squeezed him tighter as happy tears burned my eyes.
Behind us, Stella let out a whoop and Bella whooped. Nova’s husky laugh followed, and I felt a soft exhalation of breath behind me.
Laughing, I leaned back just enough to look my dad in the eyes.
“We did it,” I whispered. “We actually did it.”
I pushed myself to my feet as my dad padded around my ankles, letting out a grunt or two as if shaking off the memory of being the length of a school bus. I half-expected him to run for the woods, but apparently he was content to stay close, as though checking that I wouldn’t vanish.
We should head inside,” I said, noticing how my fingers had gone numb in the cold. “Can’t have him half-freezing out here after all that drama, right?”
My dad barked once, as though in agreement, and trotted after me when I turned to lead the way.
As soon as we stepped into the cottage, warmth enveloped us, and life finally felt like it should.
“At least we can check that off our to-do list. Now you can focus on bigger things… or maybe smaller? Opening the Academy, dealing with Gideon’s curse.”
“It feels closer than ever,” I breathed.
I turned to find Keegan watching me with an unreadable expression. Before I could speak, Stella bustled in, thrusting a plate of bread and cheese into my hands.
“Eat. Spells drain the body, you know.” She looked at everyone. “I put together a cheese platter for you all. It’s on the table.”
I let out a small chuckle, nibbling on the bread.
“Thanks, Stella. I am tired, but it’s a good kind of tired.”
Bella sidled over, a delighted grin still on her face.
“So, now that Frank is all set, are we shifting attention to Gideon again or the Academy?” Bella asked.
I nodded. “Yes, absolutely. I…I felt something during that last incantation.”
Images danced between me and Gideon the night I freed Dad, and I couldn’t shake the union. “Like a… connection. Memories pushed into my mind, but I also saw glimpses of something. I’m unsure if I can trust it, or if it’s just another trick.”
“A connection of some sort to his thoughts?” Bella asked.
“It felt deeper,” I admitted. “Like… a bond, if that makes any sense. I saw flickers of his pain, his resentment. Maybe even a shred of regret.” A wave of uncertainty washed over me. “But Gideon is cunning. He might’ve planted it all on purpose, to manipulate me.”
Stella let out a low hum, eyebrows rising.
“I hope there is no true bond there,” Stella said softly, glancing at Keegan.
Keegan, who’d been pacing near the fire, froze mid-step. His jaw clenched slightly.
“A bond?” His voice edged with bitterness. “Gideon’s illusions latch onto vulnerabilities. Don’t confuse that with real connection.” His gaze locked on mine, hazel eyes darkening, and a tremor of tension rippled between us.
My mouth went dry.
Did… did he think I was choosing Gideon somehow?
“I’m not confusing that,” I started, heart pounding. “I’m just uncertain if any part of him is genuine, or if all of it’s manipulative magic? I’m just trying to glean information about the curse.”
His posture remained tight, arms rigid at his sides. “I saw when it happened between you two, and it worried me. I’d hoped I was wrong.”
“I don’t believe anything that came from Gideon’s mind, but I won’t forget it. Things might be valuable or give us answers that even he didn’t intend.”
Keegan’s gaze filled with understanding as he nodded. “Take it from me. Gideon doesn’t form meaningful bonds. He exploits them.”
A flicker of something else passed between us—anger, maybe jealousy, or fear. I suddenly realized, with a jolt, that maybe Keegan’s protectiveness was more personal than I’d thought.
The idea lit a flutter in my stomach. The tension radiating from him suggested more than duty.
Stella picked up on the upheaval of emotions and cleared her throat diplomatically.
“Anyway, focusing back to the Academy… You should probably head there soon. The sprites might have new guidance.”
“That’s what I’m hoping.” I nodded in agreement and was happy to put aside my worries about Keegan and his feelings, or non-feelings.
“Right,” Bella agreed. “I can do some recon and see if the Wards are stirring. With Frank safe, you can shift your attention to breaking this curse, and I’m here to help however I can until we get our first wave of students.”
I smiled at Bella. “I’m itching to get back inside. I know what you’ve told me about the shifters being even more on edge. Our world can’t survive a divide for too much longer, and we certainly don’t want the other factions to start to crumble.”
Between the dragons’ lure and the feeling of something else the Academy wanted to reveal, I knew I had to return soon. Grandma Elira needed news of her son, and the faster I opened the Academy, the quicker my dad could come onto the grounds.
And maybe…just maybe, if the doors opened to students, we might get enough energy to fuel the Wards and gain more insight and protection while we end the curse.
A rap on the front door cut through the cozy hush.
My dad jerked his head up and let out a curious growl.
Twobble nearly dropped his bacon, and Bella’s fox ears flicked in and out.
“Huh,” she said warily. “Expecting anyone?”
I shook my head. “Hopefully, it’s Nova, but she would have just walked in.”
Twobble straightened his narrow shoulders. “Certainly doesn’t feel like Nova, but I recognize this presence, and with that, pardon me while I exit through the back.”
His brows pulled together in annoyance, and his mouth clenched shut, and I knew I wouldn’t be getting any further answers from him.
Keegan tightened his fists and took a few steps toward the door.
The tension soared once more as the coziness became overshadowed by uncertainty.
I shared a glance with the group.
My father let out a low warning bark, as though he sensed more danger might be lurking.
Keegan reached for the latch, and the cottage braced for who or what might be on the other side.
After everything I’d been through, I just wanted a bit of calm.
But that wasn’t what was in store for me, and I almost fainted at who was on the other side of the door.