I shivered as her words landed because she was right.
We had orcs at the edges and a Priestess somewhere beyond who was patient and listening.
“They came because their land is unstable,” I said. “Because Shadowick’s interference bled into territories it never had before. They know that. In their hearts, they know this is the best option for now.”
“They know,” Caleb replied. “But knowing doesn’t make waiting easier.”
He was right.
I thought of the meeting with the orcs—their broad shoulders squared, their leader’s steady gaze. They had not come begging, but we had settled on temporary refuge in exchange for strength.
But now refuge felt like confinement to them, and that was a problem or could become one.
Keegan’s hand brushed lightly against the small of my back, barely there, but enough.
“We need to talk to them,” he said. “Before they decide for us.”
“They’re not in a talking mood,” Caleb warned.
“Then we don’t approach as negotiators,” Keegan replied. “We approach as allies.”
I swallowed. “And if they don’t see us that way anymore?”
The question hung.
Stella stepped closer, voice low but firm. “Then we remind them.”
“How?” Bella asked.
“By not panicking in front of the new arrivals,” Stella said pointedly, glancing at the students who were pretending not to listen.
Right.
Orientation.
I turned slightly, addressing the gathered witches and shifters.
“This doesn’t change anything about today,” I said, letting calm settle into the words. “The Academy is open. You’re safe here.”
Safe.
The word tasted like hope and risk.
Caleb watched me carefully, as if measuring whether I believed what I’d just said.
“Maeve,” he said quietly, “if they push, the perimeter will push back.”
“And if it pushes back too hard?” Nova asked.
“Then they’ll think it’s intentional,” Caleb replied.
Silence fell again.
The orcs had just arrived. They wanted to return to their swamps, their caverns, their ancestral fires. I understood that ache. I understood wanting to go home.
But dealing with the Priestess would take time. Patience. Precision.
And by the sound of it, the orcs had none of those attributes left.
