For a moment, I felt held.
Seen.
And maybe that was all the orcs needed.
What if they craved connection over control?
“I’ll do my best,” I promised it. “That’s all I’ve got.”
The breeze stilled, satisfied.
As I turned to leave, the path through the Ward opened smoothly, guiding me back toward the Academy, towardKeegan, toward whatever waited beyond Stonewick’s borders. The burning at my hip reminded me with every step that the moment had arrived.
I didn’t have all the answers.
But I had enough to begin.
And sometimes, that had to be enough.
By the time I stood in the courtyard with my pack slung over one shoulder and the Academy buzzing behind me, I was forced to confront a very specific truth.
At no point in my life plan had I accounted for traveling toward the Hollows with hundreds of vampires, a seer, a fox shifter, a wolf shifter, a goblin perched on a bramblemule, and my general sense of self-preservation flapping weakly in the breeze.
And yet.
Here I was.
The bramblemule in question was a riot of color and attitude, its vine-wrapped legs sturdy and patient as it shifted its weight and flicked a thorny tail. Twobble sat atop it like a conquering hero, legs dangling, arms crossed, surveying the growing group with the smug satisfaction of someone who’d packed snacks and opinions in equal measure.
“I just want it noted,” he said loudly, “that I suggested a wagon.”
“You suggested a rolling spa with cup holders,” Stella replied, adjusting the collar of her coat and eyeing the mule with open skepticism. “This is somehow worse for battle.”
“This won’t be for battle,” I corrected.
Lady Limora stood nearby, serene as ever, her presence anchoring the cluster of vampires gathering behind her. They were an eclectic group, some dressed in long, elegant coats, others in more practical travel gear, but all of them watched the horizon with a quiet intensity that set my nerves humming. Hundreds of vampires were not a subtle traveling party, no matter how polite they were about it.
Nova checked the contents of her satchel for the third time, her fingers brushing crystal vials and folded charts. Bella paced in a loose circle, her fox energy contained but restless, tail flicking as if she could already sense the shifting magic ahead. Keegan stood at my side.
“This is happening,” I murmured.
Keegan glanced at me, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “It is.”
“I’m not even sure what I’m offering them,” I admitted. “Or what I’m asking.”
“Good,” he said gently. “Means you’re not trying to control it.”
I snorted softly. “That’s one way to look at it.”
Behind us, the Academy doors stood open, not urging, not restraining. Or at least acknowledging that the choice had been made.
I took a breath and turned to address the group, my voice carrying farther than I expected. “All right. We move carefully. We don’t provoke. We listen first. If anything feels wrong, we stop.”
A chorus of nods followed, solemn and reassuring in equal measure.
And then the air shifted.
It wasn’t sharp or alarming, but it was enough to make the hairs on my arms stand up.
