Keegan huffed out a quiet laugh as he set his empty mug aside.
“I’m impressed,” I admitted, taking a careful sip of the tea. It was warm, calming, exactly what Stella always seemed to know I needed before I did. “Concerned, but impressed.”
“You can be both,” Twobble said, already turning toward the door. “Preferably while walking.”
“And we don’t actually know where we’re heading.” I shook my head, but I followed, because of course I did.
The hallway was already alive with quiet movement, early risers heading to classrooms, a few students lingering, books clutched tightly to their chests, as they whispered plans for the day ahead.
But underneath it all, it felt like the Academy knew there was something important ahead.
When we stepped outside, the sun had fully crested the trees, casting long streaks of gold across the courtyard. On a typical day, it would be a sight to behold and worth pausing for, but today it felt like a countdown.
A group had already gathered near the edge of the courtyard.
More folks than I expected had shown up.
Shifters stood in loose clusters, some in human form, others pacing just slightly with that restless energy they could never quite hide. Caleb waved at me as I nodded in approval.
And beside them… orcs.
A full horde, standing tall, broad-shouldered, their presence solid in a way that grounded the entire space. They weren’t spread out or posturing or sizing each other up like I’d seen before.
They were… together.
I slowed slightly, taking it in, because I hadn’t seen them like this in weeks. Ever since the battle in the woods, a mysterious change took place. It was nothing that the Priestess would have wanted, but her very actions stopped dividing our people and united them.
“Okay,” I murmured under my breath. “That’s new.”
Keegan glanced at me. “They’ve been working on it.”
“I can see that.”
Twobble marched right up to the front, looking as official as a goblin could.
“Headmistress on deck,” he announced, gesturing toward me with both hands.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and stepped forward, meeting the gaze of the orc at the front of the group.
He inclined his head slightly. “Maeve.”
“Thank you for coming,” I said, keeping my tone steady, respectful. “All of you.”
“We’ve heard what’s happening,” another orc said from just behind him, his voice low but clear. “And we don’t ignore movements like this.”
“Especially not now,” one of the shifters added, crossing her arms as she glanced toward the village.
I nodded because that made sense. It all made sense. The Priestess moving. The dungeons. The tension building in our village in a way that no one could pretend wasn’t there anymore.
“I need to ask you something,” I said, stepping a little closer to the orc. “Are the rogue orcs who are working with the Priestess part of your lineage?”
A quiet shift moved through the group.
The lead orc let out a slow breath. “There are always outliers.”
“I figured,” I said.
“They don’t represent us,” another added quickly. “They never have.”
