Page 34 of Bearly Bewitched

The sound she made – pain and surprise and fear all tangled together – would haunt Kaine’s nightmares. He caught her as she stumbled, feeling the unnatural cold radiating from where the corruption had touched her. Her magic flickered erratically,its usual steady flame disrupted by threads of purple that tried to burrow into her magical core.

THIRTY-THREE

“Vail!” Kaine pulled her closer, pouring healing energy into her trembling form. But the darkness fought, clinging to her power with tenacious hunger. It felt wrong – not just dangerous but fundamentally twisted like someone had taken natural magic and mutated its very essence. The taint carried the same signature he remembered from Daisy’s curse, but amplified and twisted into something even darker.

She pressed her face against his chest, fingers curling into his shirt as another wave of corruption racked her body. “Can’t... breathe properly,” she gasped. “The magic feels...”

“Wrong,” he finished, understanding exactly what she meant. He could smell it on her skin now – that same acrid tang that had tainted Daisy’s magic after the accident. The corruption was trying to force its way into her magical core, attempting to twist her power the same way Nora had tried to “purify” his niece.

Sabine and Ren arrived in a rush of protective energy, their combined power pushing against the darkness. The tiger-shifter took one look at Vail and swore viciously. “We need to get her to Madame Zephyrine. Now.”

“The wards—“ Vail tried to protest, but another wave of corruption made her magic sputter like a dying flame. Purple energy crawled through her aura, leaving trails of frost in its wake.

“Will have to wait.” Kaine lifted her carefully, hating how cold she felt against him. Her usually vibrant magic pulse was thready and weak, interrupted by spikes of lilac energy that made her whole body shudder. Each burst of corruption tried to drag her power farther into darkness, but he held on, refusing to let it take her.

The next hours passed in a blur of healing magic and desperate measures. Madame Zephyrine worked tirelessly, her ancient power fighting the corruption trying to root in Vail’s magical center. The healer’s workshop filled with the sharp scent of protective herbs and the honey-sweet taste of healing spells. Other staff members came and went, bringing fresh supplies and reports of ward stone activity, but Kaine barely registered their presence.

“I’ve never seen corruption like this,” Zephyrine muttered, her hands glowing with cleansing light as she worked to purge the darkness. “It’s not just attacking her magic – it’s trying to fundamentally alter it. Like it’s searching for something specific in her magical signature.”

Her eyes narrowed as she examined the purple energy still circling Vail’s core. “The pattern... it reminds me of old council purification rituals. The ones they banned centuries ago.”

Kaine hadn’t left Vail’s side. Every time the corruption surged, trying to drag her magic further into darkness, he pulled her back with gentle persistence. Their energies remained connected by gossamer threads of gold and crimson – a lifeline in the storm.

Dawn found them in Vail’s cottage where Madame Zephyrine had insisted on moving her once the immediate danger passed.The corruption had finally retreated to manageable levels, though traces of it still circled her magical core like purple bruises on her aura.

“You should rest too,” Vail murmured, watching him pace by her window. Her voice was hoarse from screaming when Zephyrine had purged the worst of the corruption. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“You almost did.” The words escaped before he could stop them, raw with remembered fear. He turned to face her, caught by how fragile she looked against her grandmother’s quilts. “When that corruption hit you... when I felt your magic starting to change...”

“But it didn’t win.” She held out her hand, and he crossed the room to take it. The simple contact sent warmth flowing between them, chasing away the lingering chill of dark magic. “We’re stronger together. That’s what Ledger doesn’t understand.”

As if summoned by her words, the ward stones visible through her window pulsed with renewed corruption. But this time, the purple energy seemed weaker, almost hesitant as it encountered their combined power.

Recovery came slowly over the next three days. The academy adjusted to Vail’s temporary absence with Felicity stepping up to handle administrative duties. Students and staff worked together to strengthen the building’s defenses, using techniques that merged witch and shifter magic in ways that seemed to actively repel the corruption.

Word spread quickly about what had happened, and support poured in from unexpected places. The shifter community sent healing herbs and protective talismans. Local witches offered their services to help maintain the wards. Even some council members made discreet inquiries, disturbed by rumors of corrupted ward stones and ancient magic.

Kaine split his time between coordinating academy security and sitting with Vail as she healed. She improved steadily under Madame Zephyrine’s care, though the corruption had left its mark. Her magic sometimes sparked with traces of purple when she was tired, and certain ward stones made her flinch if she got too close.

But there were positive changes too. The attack had forced everyone to work together in new ways, breaking down old barriers between magical communities. Witch and shifter magic blended more freely now, creating protective barriers that shimmered with hybrid energy. Even Daisy’s curse seemed calmer as if watching others successfully combine different types of magic helped her understand her own unique power.

“We should document this,” Vail insisted on the third day, propped up against her pillows while she reviewed ward reports. Her magical signature had mostly returned to normal, though Kaine could still sense echoes of corruption around her edges. “The way different magical types respond to the corruption could help us understand what Ledger’s trying to achieve.”

“What you should be doing is resting.” He tried to take the reports, but she tucked them protectively against her chest.

“I am resting. Very restfully studying corruption patterns.” Her smile turned softer as she caught his worried frown. “I promise I’m being careful. But, Kaine... this is bigger than just me. The way the corruption reacted to our combined magic, how it seemed almost afraid when we worked together – that means something.”

She was right, though he hated putting her at risk again. The corruption’s response to hybrid magic might be the key to understanding Ledger’s plans. If they could figure out why it recoiled from certain magical combinations...

Before he could respond, Burke arrived with urgent news. Another ward stone had shown signs of corruption, but this timethe pattern was different. It seemed to be reaching specifically for hybrid magical signatures as if testing defenses.

Vail started to stand, but Kaine’s growl stopped her. “Don’t even think about it.”

“Fine.” She settled back with poor grace. “But at least help me document the pattern changes. If Ledger’s trying to recreate Nora’s ritual using the ward network...”

They spent the next hour comparing ward stone readings to Daisy’s curse diary, looking for connections. Outside, thunder rumbled as storm clouds gathered again. The ward stones pulsed with familiar purple light, but now they could recognize the pattern in its corruption.

“Look at this.” Vail pointed to a series of diagrams in the curse diary. “The way the corruption moves... it’s not random. It’s following the same sequence Nora used in her ritual, but on a larger scale. Instead of targeting one person’s magic?—“

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