Chapter Five
I was in bed with Keegan as his large arm draped across my belly, and the soft sounds of his breathing were nearly lulling me to sleep.
But I just couldn't quite get there. Between my mom’s possible move to the dungeon, Gideon leaving, Skonk going with him, and the Shadow tone luring me, it was hard to focus on rest. I was grateful for Luna’s willingness to help, but my mind wouldn't settle, and the sun was already coming up.
Keegan rustled a little bit, and his breathing shifted, so I took the opportunity and slid out from under his arms and went to the bathroom to get ready. As I turned on the shower water, undressed, and stepped in, I heard his voice from the other room.
“One step ahead of you, Maeve.” The sound of his voice created a calmness that I didn't know I needed.
“Oh, yeah?” I rinsed out the shampoo, turned off the shower, and dried off.
“Yup. Stella had the kitchen sprites prepare meals for us while we start our search for Gideon and Skonk.”
His words brought a smile to my lips.
“Who all is we?”
“Stella, Nova, Lady Limora, Twobble, and Luna.” He cleared his throat. “More wanted to come, but they needed to stay behind because they have classes to teach.”
“And all of this was decided while I was at Luna’s shop last night?”
“It's one thing when the Priestess thinks your mom might be trying to help her, but quite another when the Priestess realizes she was wrong and your mom had no intention of helping your grandma. So she moved her to the dungeon.”
“We don't know that for sure.” But I did in my heart.
I dried off, slipped on a pair of pants and an oversized sweater, then stepped back to see Keegan.
His eyes met mine, and I couldn't help but feel the pull to him, and the way his hazel eyes connected with mine made my heart flutter because I knew he'd always be there.
But I had to ask him something that had been worrying me since the woods.
“Keegan, are you going to talk to me about your dad at all?” I stepped closer. “Have you asked your mom about him or anyone? You’ve gone radio silent, and I know something's going through your head.”
His lip curled slightly, and he nodded. “We have more important things to worry about than my dysfunctional family.”
“I get that, but aren't you kind of curious about him leaving and why…and where he’s been?”
“He's a coward.” He shrugged. “That's why he left. What more do I need to know? He plays whatever side suits him.”
My brows lifted in surprise. “Is that what you think?”
His eyes stayed fastened on mine. “It's what I know.”
A knock at the door interrupted, and Keegan went to answer it.
“Rise and shine. We have a geology expedition ahead with a stone and a goblin to find.” Twobble walked in and shoved tea and smooshed muffins into our hands.
“Word on the street is that the Priestess is wasting no time, which is why I have two groups of shifters who volunteered in our recovery, as well as a horde of orcs. I thought it would give you ample time to question them on the way about the possible traitors who’ve been working with the Priestess. ”
Keegan polished off his muffin in two bites and started on the tea as I stared at my little goblin friend in absolute amazement.
I blinked at him, still holding the tea and the very questionable muffin as the words settled in.
“You gathered shifters and orcs… before I had my tea?” I asked.
Twobble lifted his chin proudly. “Efficiency is a hallmark of my kind. Caleb will head them up with your dad.”
Keegan huffed out a quiet laugh as he set his empty mug aside.
“I’m impressed,” I admitted, taking a careful sip of the tea. It was warm, calming, exactly what Stella always seemed to know I needed before I did. “Concerned, but impressed.”
“You can be both,” Twobble said, already turning toward the door. “Preferably while walking.”
“And we don’t actually know where we’re heading.” I shook my head, but I followed, because of course I did.
The hallway was already alive with quiet movement, early risers heading to classrooms, a few students lingering, books clutched tightly to their chests, as they whispered plans for the day ahead.
But underneath it all, it felt like the Academy knew there was something important ahead.
When we stepped outside, the sun had fully crested the trees, casting long streaks of gold across the courtyard. On a typical day, it would be a sight to behold and worth pausing for, but today it felt like a countdown.
A group had already gathered near the edge of the courtyard.
More folks than I expected had shown up.
Shifters stood in loose clusters, some in human form, others pacing just slightly with that restless energy they could never quite hide. Caleb waved at me as I nodded in approval.
And beside them… orcs.
A full horde, standing tall, broad-shouldered, their presence solid in a way that grounded the entire space. They weren’t spread out or posturing or sizing each other up like I’d seen before.
They were… together.
I slowed slightly, taking it in, because I hadn’t seen them like this in weeks. Ever since the battle in the woods, a mysterious change took place. It was nothing that the Priestess would have wanted, but her very actions stopped dividing our people and united them.
“Okay,” I murmured under my breath. “That’s new.”
Keegan glanced at me. “They’ve been working on it.”
“I can see that.”
Twobble marched right up to the front, looking as official as a goblin could.
“Headmistress on deck,” he announced, gesturing toward me with both hands.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and stepped forward, meeting the gaze of the orc at the front of the group.
He inclined his head slightly. “Maeve.”
“Thank you for coming,” I said, keeping my tone steady, respectful. “All of you.”
“We’ve heard what’s happening,” another orc said from just behind him, his voice low but clear. “And we don’t ignore movements like this.”
“Especially not now,” one of the shifters added, crossing her arms as she glanced toward the village.
I nodded because that made sense. It all made sense. The Priestess moving. The dungeons. The tension building in our village in a way that no one could pretend wasn’t there anymore.
“I need to ask you something,” I said, stepping a little closer to the orc. “Are the rogue orcs who are working with the Priestess part of your lineage?”
A quiet shift moved through the group.
The lead orc let out a slow breath. “There are always outliers.”
“I figured,” I said.
“They don’t represent us,” another added quickly. “They never have.”
Keegan stepped slightly closer to my side, and I was grateful. The last thing I wanted to do was offend the very orcs who’ve stood by our side.
“But there are always a few who stray,” an orc explained.
“How many?” I asked.
The first orc shook his head. “Not many, but enough to cause damage if left unchecked.”
“And they’ve aligned themselves with her,” I said.
“They’ve aligned themselves with power,” he corrected. “The Priestess offers it.”
That didn’t sit well with me, but that was because I’d never understood the desire for it.
“They’re choosing her,” I said.
“They’re choosing what they believe she can give them,” he replied. “That doesn’t mean they understand the cost.”
Silence settled over us for a moment, the weight of that truth pressing in from all sides.
“They’ve been seen near the outer edges,” one of the shifters said. “Not close enough to cross the Wards, but watching. Waiting.”
“For what?” I asked.
“For an opening.”
Of course they were. My shadow mark itched more.
“Have they made contact with anyone here?” I asked.
The orcs exchanged glances before one of them spoke again. “Not directly. But there have been attempts.”
My stomach dropped just a fraction. “Attempts how?”
A breeze ran through the air, and I shivered.
“Messages,” he said. “Whispers sent through channels we don’t use anymore. Old alliances. Old ways.”
“And?” Keegan asked.
“And they’ve been ignored,” the orc said firmly. “By us. All of us, which is why we didn’t mention it.”
Relief flickered, brief but real.
“But that doesn’t mean they’ll stop,” the shifter added. “If anything, it means they’ll push harder.”
I nodded slowly, because that tracked with everything else we were seeing.
“They’re desperate,” I said.
“They’re opportunistic,” the lead orc corrected. “And that’s often worse.”
Twobble cleared his throat beside me. “So, to summarize, we have rogue orcs, an impatient Priestess, a missing Gideon, and a goblin who risked his life to help him.”
I glanced down at him. “When you say it like that—”
“It sounds like a very busy day,” he finished and licked his fingers, and I had absolutely no idea what he’d just put in his mouth.
I looked back at the orcs. “If they try to make contact again, I need to know immediately.”
“You will,” the lead orc said.
“And if you hear anything about movement near Shadowick,” Keegan added, his voice low but carrying. “Anything at all.”
“We’ll send word,” another orc said.
I let out a slow breath, nodding as I took a step back, my gaze drifting once more across the gathered group.
Shifters and orcs standing side by side.
Our unity wasn’t perfect, and we weren’t without tension, but we were closer than we had been.
And right now, that mattered more than I could put into words.
“We move carefully,” I said, more to myself than anyone else. “We don’t give her an opening.”
The sun climbed a little higher, light spilling across the courtyard, warming the stone beneath my feet, but the unease didn’t lift.
If anything, it settled deeper because for the first time, it felt like everyone was bracing for the same thing.
And none of us quite knew when it would hit.