Already here.
I set the one in my hand down next to it as a steady glow emanated from the duo, and the winged foxes circled them, and I realized whatever was set in motion was out of our control.
Chapter Twelve
We didn’t rush through the Academy so much as slip through it, carried along by something tighter than urgency. The halls felt close around us, the kind of closeness that made you wonder if the walls were listening in on every half-formed thought. Students drifted past in clusters, laughter spilling here and there, whispers following behind, and more than a few curious glances that lingered a beat too long.
“They have no idea,” I murmured under my breath.
“They don’t need to yet,” Stella said smoothly, as if she’d already decided that for all of us.
The banquet hall doors opened before we reached them, and the sound rolled out to meet us—busy, layered, purposeful. Not quite disorder, but only just holding its shape.
Inside, kitchen sprites darted between tables with trays that seemed determined to topple them over. Steam curled up from the long rows of dishes, carrying warm, herb-laced scents with something sweet tucked underneath. Piles of dumplings, stuffing, and biscuits drifted by on one tray while a platter of fresh fall vegetables were on another.
I saw students gathered in small pockets throughout the room, some seated, others lingering near the tables. I loved how conversations stayed steady.
But I couldn't shake the worry about the others, and then I felt it.
My gaze moved on instinct, as my pulse followed a half step behind until I found him.
My dad stood near the center of the room, standing in a way that steadied something in my chest. Ardetia and Caleb flanked him, their attention fixed, their conversation quiet but intent. My dad hadn’t stopped moving since they’d returned—that much was written in the set of his shoulders, the focus in his expression.
The relief crashed through me as I saw everyone standing together safely under the Academy's roof.
“Dad,” I called, already moving.
He turned before I reached him, like he had felt me coming, and the moment his eyes met mine, something in his expression softened.
“There you are,” he said, pulling me into a hug before I could say anything else.
I didn’t hesitate.
I wrapped my arms around him, holding on just a second longer than I probably should have, just to make sure he was really there.
“You’re okay,” I said quietly.
“I’m okay,” he replied. “Are you?”
I pulled back, nodding. “We made it back through the goblin tunnels.”
Ardetia stepped closer, her gaze alert as it moved over me, taking in everything without missing a single detail. “You look like you’ve seen more than you expected.”
“That’s one way to put it,” I said.
Caleb crossed his arms, his expression thoughtful. “What happened out there?”
I glanced around the room again, lowering my voice slightly. “The Priestess found us.”
That got their attention.
“How?” Ardetia asked immediately.
“We don’t know,” I admitted. “We had just made it into the marshlands. Gideon met me there, handed over the stone, and then…” I shook my head slightly. “Something shifted. There was a sound, and the ground started moving. By the time we realized what was happening, there was an entire force moving toward us.”
Caleb’s jaw tightened. “How large?”
“Large enough that we didn’t stay to count,” Keegan said, stepping up beside me.
