Page 9 of Bearly Bewitched

“Already on it.” Burke gathered the folders. “I’ll update you if anything stands out.”

The conversation shifted back to the upcoming Community Magic Share event, but Kaine’s mind lingered on the implications. Daisy’s unique nature already drew unwantedattention from certain elders in his sleuth. The last thing she needed was to become the focus of overly curious magical scholars.

“You’ll want to meet with Headmistress Kessler soon,” Rook suggested, reading his friend’s concern. “Discuss how the academy plans to protect its students’ privacy while implementing these changes.”

“I’ll set up a meeting,” Kaine agreed. His bear huffed at how quickly Romi perked up. “A professional meeting,” he added firmly.

“Of course,” Romi said innocently. “Purely professional. Though I should mention that Vail loves children and has brilliant ideas about nurturing unique magical talents...”

By the timeKaine reached his mountain cabin that evening, the sun hung low over the peaks, painting the sky in shades of amber and rose. Protected runes shimmered along the massive log walls, responding to his presence as he climbed the steps. The scent of his mother’s cooking—pot roast and fresh bread—wrapped around him like a welcome embrace.

“How bad did she wear out Thane today?” he asked, finding Margot in the kitchen.

His mother laughed. “Put it this way—your old tutor looked considerably grayer by the time he left.” She stirred something that smelled like cinnamon. “Though he did mention the bear-flies were quite impressive.”

“Bear-flies?” A small voice piped up from the living room. “Did someone say bear-flies?”

Daisy bounded in, still in her school clothes but with what appeared to be glitter in her hair. Magical residue sparkled around her like early evening fireflies, evidence of a day spent practicing spells.

“I made seven of them!” she announced proudly. “With tiny fuzzy legs and everything! And they didn’t even try to eat anyone this time.”

“This time?” Kaine raised a brow.

“Well...” Daisy scuffed her toe against the floor. “The first ones might have been a little... bitey. But Thane said that’s because I accidentally mixed up the words for ‘flutter’ and ‘fight.’” She brightened. “But then I fixed it! And now they’re really cute! Can I show you?”

Before Kaine could respond, Margot cleared her throat. “Dinner first. Then ice cream. Then magic.”

“But, Grandma?—“

“Listen to your grandmother, sweet girl.” Kaine ruffled her hair, dislodging more glitter. “Besides, don’t you have something else to show me? Something about your research?”

Daisy gasped. “My curse diary! I almost forgot!” She darted from the room, feet thundering up the stairs.

“Careful!” Kaine called after her, wincing at a loud thump.

“I’m okay!” Her voice drifted down. “Just knocked over some books. With magic. By accident.”

Margot chuckled. “She’s certainly keeping us on our toes.”

“That’s one way to put it.” Kaine leaned against the counter, his bear rumbling contentedly at the domestic scene despite his lingering concerns from the day’s revelations. “Has she seemed... okay? After what happened with Elder Morton?”

His mother’s expression hardened slightly. “She’s resilient. Like her father.” She touched Kaine’s arm. “Like her uncle.”

Before he could respond, Daisy clattered back down the stairs, clutching a notebook covered in stickers and what appeared to be more glitter. The cover proclaimed “Daisy’s Super Secret Magical Science Project” in wobbly seven-year-old handwriting.

“Look!” She thrust the book at him. “I wrote down everything like you said. When the magic gets weird, what makes it better, what makes it worse...” She flipped pages rapidly. “See? I made charts!”

Kaine settled into his favorite armchair, pulling Daisy onto his lap to examine her work. His bear purred at her familiar weight and scent—honeysuckle and sunshine with that spark of volatile magic underneath that simultaneously worried and amazed him.

The “charts” were exactly what you’d expect from a seven-year-old’s attempt at scientific documentation, complete with stick figures and liberal use of rainbow colors. But beneath the childish presentation, Kaine recognized genuine patterns emerging.

“The curse gets super fizzy when I’m scared or mad,” Daisy explained, pointing to a page covered in angry red scribbles. “But it calms down when there’s lots of different magic around.” She turned to a quieter page decorated with hearts and stars. “Like when Sarah did her light spell while you were hugging me. Or when Thane helps me practice while Grandma bakes with her earth magic.”

Kaine studied the entries, pride swelling in his chest. Where others might have surrendered to fear or frustration, his niece faced her curse with determination and creativity. Even if that creativity currently involved drawing tiny bears wearing butterfly wings in the margins.

“This is excellent work, sunshine.” He squeezed her shoulders. “Maybe you’re onto something about different types of magic working together.”

“That’s what I said!” Daisy bounced excitedly. “So can I go to the academy? Please? Thane says they’re going to have all kinds of magic there now. Maybe they can help me make the curse less explode-y.”

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