Stella studied me over the rim of her teacup.
“No one’s asking you to,” she said. “But we do need to be realistic.”
“I know,” I replied. “Stonewick is strong. The Academy is strong. But thousands of orcs? That’s not subtle magic or ancient wards. That’s brute force.”
“And brute force doesn’t negotiate easily,” Nova added.
I straightened, squaring my shoulders. “Which means we don’t give them to Shadowick. And we don’t wait for them to arrive on our doorstep either.”
Twobble tilted his head. “You’re thinking of meeting them.”
“I’m thinking of intercepting them sooner than I realized,” I said. “On neutral ground.”
Skonk’s brow furrowed. “That’s risky.”
“Everything about this is risky,” I replied. “But if they’re being pushed, manipulated, then they deserve to hear another option before desperation drives them into her arms.”
Lady Limora’s lips curved into a slow, approving smile.
“Compassion before conquest,” she murmured. “I like it. Something new for me to try.”
Stella chuckled.
I traced one finger along the edge of the map, following the glowing paths northward toward the Luminary.
“If we wait until students arrive,” I said, “our options narrow. The Academy will be full of midlife magic, untested, vulnerable. I won’t put them in the middle of this.”
Nova nodded. “That means the window is even shorter.”
“Days,” I agreed. “Not weeks.”
The room fell quiet, the weight of that timeline settling over us like a held breath.
Twobble broke it first.
“Well,” he said, hopping down from the table, “if you’re marching off to reason with thousands of displaced orcs before the ladies get back, I suppose I should pack snacks.”
Skonk shot him a look. “You’re not coming.”
“I absolutely am,” Twobble replied. “Someone needs to be the voice of reason.”
“That’s not you,” Skonk said flatly.
Their bickering provided a brief, much-needed distraction, and I let myself smile before sobering again. I looked at the map, at the relentless, steady movement of light.
This wasn’t just about Stonewick anymore. It wasn’t even just about the Priestess.
It was about momentum.
If we didn’t step in now, the world would keep sliding in the direction fear and manipulation pushed it. Thousands of orcs didn’t wake up one morning and decide to march north without cause. Someone was lighting a fire at their backs, and I knew exactly who had a history of doing that.
“I know what I have to do,” I said softly.
Nova met my gaze, her expression serious but supportive. “Then we’ll help you plan.”
Stella lifted her teacup in a small salute. “And we’ll make sure the Academy holds steady while you’re gone.”
Lady Limora inclined her head. “The vampires will be ready if needed.”
