“It was the spores,” she said finally, though her voice was quieter now. “Nothing more.”
But the shadow in her eyes told me she was not as certain as she wanted me to believe.
And I know what I heard.
I pressed my arms tighter around myself, trying to hold my chest together as the memory of that voice curled once more through my mind.
Maeve.
I shivered, but I didn’t speak the name that still haunted me, the name that felt too real on my tongue.
Nova glanced back at the Wilds, then turned sharply to me. “We must avoid the grove from now on. It cannot be allowed to draw you in again.”
I nodded numbly, though my body still buzzed with the echo of the voice, with the impossible pull of it.
Bella leaned close, her golden eyes steady. “Whatever you heard, whatever you felt, it wasn’t the truth. Don’t let it claim you.”
I swallowed hard, forcing the words out. “I’m not sure I believe that.”
No one answered. The silence was louder than anything.
And though the Sillipa grove was behind us, the voice still lingered, stitched into the marrow of my bones.
Chapter Seven
The charms shimmered faintly above the Academy as we returned from the edge of the Wilds. Nova’s hand was still tight on her staff, and her face looked unreadable, while Ardetia’s grace barely concealed the tension in her shoulders. Bella walked close to me, but even she couldn’t shake the unease.
The courtyard had quieted.
Most of the students had gone to their dormitories, still buzzing with talk of the bramble mule. Laughter drifted faintly from the windows, the sound bright, unaware of how thin the boundary between safety and danger had felt only minutes ago.
Twobble popped out from behind a pillar, arms crossed smugly, his chin dusted with crumbs.
“See? Told you not to worry. The petting zoo is under control. I even got them to braid flowers in the mule’s mane. Very professional services provided.”
Nova arched a brow but didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, she looked at me, her expression softening. “We’ll keep the students steady. Go.”
“Go?” I asked.
“To him,” Ardetia said, her voice gentle, her pale eyes shimmering with understanding. “Keegan needs you tonight more than anyone else.”
My chest ached at the truth of it. I nodded once, unable to speak.
Twobble flapped a hand. “Go on, then. We’ll handle the witches of chaos. You two do the romantic, tragic, brooding curse thing. I’ll supervise the mule.”
Bella rolled her eyes and swatted at him, but the tension cracked just enough for me to breathe.
“Go,” Nova said again, firmer this time.
So I did.
The halls of the Academy dimmed as night pressed closer, and the sconces flickered to life.
My sandals echoed softly on the floor, carrying me toward Keegan’s quarters. The summer session had started, and I felt like my world was spinning in the wrong direction.
The door to Keegan’s room was ajar, and the scent of roasted herbs and honey butter drifted into the corridor. Stella had obviously been here with the kitchen sprites.
When I pushed the door gently, the sight that greeted me made me laugh softly under my breath.
