Chapter Seventeen
I paced slowly along the worn kitchen floor, clutching a half-empty mug of spiced tea. The winter sun poured through the windows and lit up the rustic kitchen, and I was trying to convince myself to reorganize the kitchen cupboards so I knew where everything was located.
Every squeak of a floorboard and every speck of magic dust along the rafters felt like home, and after Bella, Stella, and Nova left, I finally had a little peace and quiet to think about what had just happened in the last week.
They might be used to spinning spells and dashing off to mend Wards, but I was still trying not to blow things up or hurt myself.
And I still had an entire world outside the village limits that I couldn’t leave behind. I missed Celeste like crazy, but that was expected as she spread her wings and flew, and I desperately wanted to see Skye and hear all about her pregnancy cravings.
But I just never expected the one person to show up on my cottage doorstep to be my mom. She’d always spoken about Stonewick as a waste of time.
Of course, I could see it for what it was now. She had reasons to flee with me, and now it was my time to get as many answers as possible before she explored the world again with my stepdad. I expected this little tiff with him not to last too long.
I walked into the living room where my dad slept, curled up near the fireplace, occasionally stirring to let out a muffled snort.
It absolutely baffled me that she’d shown up unannounced, trailing a red suitcase and a spinning tide of old resentments. She’d once lived here, but left Stonewick and my history behind.
I wanted answers, but I wasn’t sure if she’d open up. She’d always had a way of brushing off uncomfortable truths with a glib remark. Still, she was here, and if I wanted any chance at unraveling Stonewick’s mysteries or my dad’s past, I might have to beg for her to give me answers.
Miora hummed softly, stepping from the kitchen with a dusty rag in one hand.
She paused when she saw me, her eyes flicking to the tea mug in my grip.
“Did you need help, Maeve? I heard rummaging a few minutes ago.”
“Just me being restless.” I set the mug aside. “But I was actually hoping to talk to you.”
She tilted her head and tucked the rag into her apron.
“Of course. Everything all right with your dad? He’s back to normal, yes?”
“Definitely normal,” I confirmed, glancing fondly at him. “But since my mom showed up today, I’m trying to piece some things together.”
A flicker of unease surfaced in her expression.
“Your mother,” she repeated, folding her arms as though bracing herself.
“She used to live here, right? I was too young to remember properly, but you two overlapped. I was wondering if… You recall anything about her? The reason she left, maybe. She breezed so easily back into town today, and I’m, well, confused.”
Miora smiled and nodded.
“I remember her, yes.” Her voice was subdued. “But I tried not to be in her path if I could help it. She never seemed… keen on spell mastery or cottage upkeep. And I was always around. I tried to stay in the cellar as much as possible or not let myself become visible to the human eye, but sometimes, things just happen. I think that made her edgy.”
“Really? How?”
“She’d complain if I came upstairs.” Miora’s eyes darted to the floor. “Said I was creeping around. That I was meddling in spell work when all I wanted was to keep the cottage strong, so after a while, I hid. Spent more time downstairs. I got the feeling she didn’t like having me here. I wasn’t sure she was pleased with being a witch.”
A pang lanced my heart.
“I’m sorry. That must have been awful. It’s your cottage, too.”
Miora shrugged, a sad little smile tugging her lips. “I made do. And once she left for good, I could roam freely. But… I guess she’s back.”
“Yeah, apparently tired of cruises. She’s at Keegan’s hotel now, but I don’t expect her to stay long. She gets antsy being in one place too long. But I hope she can tell me what she experienced when the curse fell on Stonewick.”
Miora’s eyes clouded with sympathy. “I really wouldn’t know, Maeve. Sorry. She rarely talked about much.”
“Thanks anyway. I appreciate it. I just feel like… I’m so close to opening the Academy, or at least I want to, if it will let me. But if Mom does know something about the curse or the Academy, I might have to push her for it.”
“You do whatever you must,” Miora said gently. “But be careful. She’s not exactly great at hiding her disdain for magic.”
I snorted a small laugh. “That’s putting it mildly.”
Miora gave my arm a warm squeeze. “Well, good luck. I’ll be down in the cellar if you need me. Try not to let her unsettle you too much.”
“Thanks, Miora. I’m headed to the hotel shortly.”
She chuckled softly, resuming her tune as she returned to the cellar, leaving me alone in the living room again.
My shoulders slumped with the weight of everything pressing in. My fresh divorce, the magic mishaps that never seemed to end, missing Celeste and Skye, ending a decades-long curse, running a dormant Academy…and the dragons.
I felt their call somehow.
Steeling myself, I decided it was time to talk to my mom.
I grabbed my coat and scarf, patted my dad on the head, and stepped outside. The woods behind the cottage glimmered under a pale winter sun, and Karvey looked down from the roof and nodded as the others chatted behind him.
“I did not expect to see your mom here today,” Karvey said.
I chuckled. “That makes two of us.”
“I honestly thought she hated the place.”
“So did I.” I started toward my car and stopped. “Karvey, did she seem happy when she lived here?”
He smiled and nodded. “Extremely so…up until the last year or two. Why?”
“Just trying to piece things together. It’s what I do.”
“I understand. It’s a human thing. Always trying to reason away actions and understand the unreasonable.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “Well, when you put it that way. See you shortly. Keep an eye on Frank. I don’t know where Twobble is.”
It didn’t take long to drive to the hotel in town, mere minutes. I found a parking place that didn’t require parallel parking, unlike last time, and thought back to Keegan following me down to the train station before the holidays, just to keep an eye on me, and having me stay at the hotel that night. Not that I had actually stayed in my room. The Flame Ward was just waiting to be discovered.
Nonetheless, I was grateful to him many times, even today.
The regal hotel looked warm and inviting as gargoyles loomed on the roof’s edge. Tourists ate this stuff up when they visited. Little did they know just how real this place was.
As I walked through the front doors, the floors gleamed with careful polishing, and a cozy fireplace flickered near the entrance.
Ember greeted me with a friendly wave, and I smiled, happy to see her stationed behind the reception desk.
“Afternoon, Maeve. Did you come to check on your mom?”
“Yeah. I hope she’s not causing any trouble.”
The white candles behind my friendly haunt flickered as if to reveal the truth.
Ember shook her head. “Define trouble.”
I laughed and nodded. “Gotcha. So you’ve heard from her.”
“I’m not naming names, but room number 335 has had a lot of requests. She was quite specific about her needs.”
“Sorry about that.”
“It’s my pleasure. It’s nice to see her again. It’s been decades.”
I nodded. “Forty years to be exact. Any sign of Keegan?”
Ember motioned over her shoulder. “He’s in the lounge, playing catch-up.”
“Thanks.”
The building smelled of pine and a faint tingle of cinnamon.
My heart unexpectedly fluttered at the thought of seeing Keegan, but I reined it in, focusing on the mission. I wanted to find out how my mom was settling in and talk to him about my attending the Academy.
I heard low voices in the lounge and was surprised to see Bella sitting across a table from him.
He looked up as I walked over and smiled as he stood.
“Everything okay?” he asked, giving me a warm hug as Bella stood and did the same.
“Yeah, sort of. I just thought I better visit my mom.” I shrugged. “But I feel guilty because I only want to return to the Academy.”
Bella nodded. “I understand.”
“My mom causing any trouble?” I teased.
“No, but she did seem surprised that my parents weren’t here running the hotel. She was shocked they’d left with everyone else when the curse settled over Stonewick.”
A bartender polishing glasses clanked them as she put them back on the shelf, and I realized how little of this town I’d actually participated in. I could be sipping glasses of wine in a swanky bar instead of chasing down curses.
“Funny, that would surprise her, considering she did the same thing.”
“But she took you with her.”
I nodded slowly, feeling the knot in my stomach. “No, you’re right. She did.”
Keegan eyed me thoughtfully, and his gaze made my stomach flip.
“Maybe something led her here.”
“Maybe.” I nodded, hoping it wasn’t Gideon who had. “I guess I’ll talk to her and see if she’s in the mood for conversation.”
“We’ll be nearby if you need us,” Keegan said.
My chest warmed at his subtle offer of backup. “Thanks. See ya, Bella.”
With that, I walked over to the staircase and made my way up each step, barely noticing the artwork watching me. Usually, the old pictures captivated me, but I was tired. I wanted to get answers. I wanted to be inside the Academy walls.
I reached room 335 and knocked gently. The flutter of nerves heightened in my chest.
After a few moments, the door swung open, revealing my mother’s familiar, careful smile.
“Maeve. Come in, sweetheart.”
The room was covered with vintage botanical prints of flowers and ferns. An ornate writing desk stood beneath a lace-curtained window, and papers were neatly stacked alongside a worn leather-bound notebook, most likely holding the room-service menu.
The bedspread was deep lavender velvet, smooth and meticulously tucked, and a ceramic floral lamp cast a gentle glow over the room.
Mom closed the door behind me and moved with the grace she'd always carried.
But it was impossible not to look at her as a witch, like myself. I still couldn’t fathom why she’d keep such a big part of herself hidden from me for so long.
Okay, so she didn’t want to live in Stonewick, but why hide that she was a witch?
My mom gestured toward a cushioned chair by the window. “Sit, please. I’ll make us some tea.”
I sank into the chair and watched my mom pour steaming water into porcelain cups.
What had really brought her back to Stonewick?
“Mom, why did you leave it all behind? Why did you abandon Stonewick? And magic?”
“I didn't abandon magic, not entirely. But Stonewick, that was a different matter.”
“Then tell me. Help me understand.”