My mind drifted to Celeste. What would they tell her? Would she believe it?
We needed to complete the circle, and Malore needed to be ended.
I spotted Stella at the far end of the hall, her crimson shawl sweeping like a stage curtain as she waved a teacup to punctuate some dramatic story. And near her, Keegan—pale, but upright, speaking quietly to Ardetia. His hazel eyes flicked to mine, beautiful as ever, as though he felt the weight hammering my chest.
I crossed the hall as the students parted for me, midlife witches smiling and murmuring.
It should have comforted me, that glow of life and magic, but it only made the dread worse. I could not let them fall.
Stella noticed me first, her lips pursing as she caught my expression. “Darling, that’s a face only reserved for dire news. Out with it.”
I looked between her and Keegan, lowering my voice. “It’s Gideon. He can’t be left alone. We need someone to watch him. Someone he can’t charm or break if he stirs again.”
Keegan’s jaw flexed, and he straightened despite the weariness tugging at him. “You think he’ll try?”
“I think Malore will try through him,” I said softly. “Maybe use him as a distraction.”
Keegan’s eyes hardened, but he didn’t argue. That, more than anything, unsettled me. He knew.
Stella swirled her tea, the porcelain clinking softly. “So you’re asking which poor soul has the honor of babysitting the most dangerous man in Stonewick?”
I tried to smile, but it felt brittle. “Something like that.”
Keegan leaned on the table, his voice quiet but fierce.
“If he slips the leash, if Malore uses him again,” He cut himself off, then shook his head. “We can’t risk the students. We can’t risk the Academy.”
“No,” I agreed, my chest tightening. “That’s why it has to be one of us. Someone strong enough to stand if he rises, but steady enough not to kill him outright. Because as much as I’d love to let that option stand,” my throat thickened, “we need him. Without Gideon, there’s no circle. Without the circle, we can’t close the Hunger Path.”
Stella’s eyes narrowed, but her hand found mine briefly, grounding. “We’ll sort it, dear. We always do.”
Her words were meant to reassure, but I felt the echo of what they really meant: this choice might cost us someone we love.
And it was mine to make.
I turned slightly, scanning the hall. Nova stood near the windows, her staff resting against her shoulder, her dark hair shining in the lamplight. Students gathered around her in quiet confidence, listening as she spoke of clarity and divination. Nova would be the most obvious choice. Her power was sharp, her will unshakable. She could see Gideon for what he was, pierce through illusion. But if I sent Nova, who would guard the students from the shadows pressing at the Wards? Without her steady sight, panic could spread like fire through dry grass.
Ardetia laughed softly across the room, leaning down to show a group of students how to weave herbs into protective knots. Her glow was calm, radiant, like sunlight caught in amber. She could handle Gideon, too. Nature magic bent to her, and she carried a strength that seemed endless. But she had just begun earning the students’ trust this session, and without her presence, their fears might consume them.
Bella sat on the edge of a table, fox ears twitching as she teased a trio of witches about their posture. If anyone could slip into Gideon’s room, tail swishing and eyes sharp, it was her. Foxes knew how to survive where wolves and men fell. But she was as quick to mischief as to loyalty, and Gideon’s silver tongue could weave mischief into ruin if given a chance.
And then there was Stella.
She knew how to keep the darkest things at bay with tea and salt and a glare sharp enough to slice shadows. She could sit at Gideon’s bedside and make him feel like a scolded child rather than a fallen mage. But she was also the heart of this place—the one who fed, who mothered, who reminded us we were more than warriors. Could we afford to lose that presence from the Academy halls during battle?
My dad had already done his share, standing steady at my side through more storms than I’d realized he had the strength for. To ask him now, to put him in Gideon’s room, was to risk more than I could bear. I’d almost lost him once.
And Keegan… Keegan was tied too tightly to Gideon already. To leave them alone together could break more than it healed.
The thought left me dizzy. Whoever I chose, someone else would be left exposed.
I pressed my palms flat on the table, drawing in a slow breath. “This isn’t just about Gideon. Whoever guards him may not come back. Whoever fights beside me against Malore may not come back. Even those left to protect the Academy may perish. And I have to live with asking it of them.”
Keegan leaned closer, his hazel eyes burning. “No. We all live with it. You’re not carrying this alone, Maeve.”
“I promised,” I whispered. “I promised to protect Stonewick. To protect the Academy. To protect everything. That vow doesn’t disperse because the burden is too heavy.”
Stella clicked her tongue softly, a sound both sympathetic and chiding. “Darling, even vows can be shared.”
