A murmur rippled through the crowd, half-surprised, half-excited.
One student near the front called out, “What’s it about?”
I smiled, though the weight of what I was asking settled heavily on me. “It’s about what we’re capable of together. It’s about what it means to be here, now. Bring your questions. Bring your courage. Bring your voices.”
Their murmurs grew louder, but not with resistance, with energy.
With anticipation.
I let myself stand there a moment longer, absorbing it. The bell chimed again, gentler this time, nudging themonward. Students began drifting toward the arched doors of the Academy, their chatter now buzzing with speculation.
An assembly. Something to look forward to. Something to be part of.
I exhaled slowly, my pulse steadying.
Midlife experience,I thought. It wasn’t a weakness, wasn’t something to be pitied. It was Stonewick’s sharpest edge.
Every student here carried not just magic but history. Families raised, loves lost, battles fought in silence. Their scars were proof of endurance, and their laughter proof of survival. And together, that made them strong in a way Malore’s shadows could never understand.
The courtyard emptied, leaving only a few lingering sprites collecting muffin wrappers and a stray quill bobbing toward the library.
Today, I thought, was the day we began showing Malore what he could not break.
And I couldn’t wait.
I was still standing in the courtyard, watching the last students slip inside, when a flash of gold caught the corner of my eye. Ardetia, her long hair gleaming even under the gloom, strode quickly toward me, her expression a careful mix of concern and curiosity.
“Maeve,” she said, her voice low but urgent, “are you certain the assembly should be heldhere? Out in the open? Shouldn’t we do it within the Academy’s walls, where there’s privacy?”
Her words tugged at something practical in me, but the answer came without hesitation. I laughed softly, shaking myhead. “No. I want this message sent loud and clear to the students, to Stonewick, and to Malore.”
Ardetia’s eyes widened for a moment, then softened. A slow smile curved her lips, and she let out a lilting chuckle. “Keegan is going to love hearing about this.”
I grinned back, my chest tightening with the thought of him, stubborn and weary but still fighting. “Stronger together, right?”
Ardetia inclined her head, her fae grace almost regal. “Right.”
But even as I spoke, my mind flickered elsewhere…back to Gideon.
I could almost feel the weight of his gaze, the memory of his voice whispering in the Hedge. If he were to stand with us at the circle, if unity truly meantall of us, then convincing him would be the longest, hardest road.
Yet the first step was clear.
I looked back at the courtyard, imagining it filled with every student, every voice rising together. A living reminder to Malore that his curse couldn’t silence us. That Stonewick would not break.
The wind shifted, cool against my skin. I shivered, though not from the cold.
Because at that moment, the shadows above thickened unnaturally, swirling low over the Academy towers. The Wards rumbled in protest, a faint tremor running underfoot.
Ardetia’s smile faded, and her eyes darted skyward.
And I knew that Malore had heard me.
Chapter Thirty-One
The courtyard filled faster than I expected. By the time the second bell rang, benches and steps were crowded with midlife students.
A hush of anticipation spread through the air, charged and restless. The kitchen sprites had even taken it upon themselves to string a few lanterns along the arches, their warm glow fighting against the gloom overhead.
