Page 36 of Bearly Bewitched

“Impossible.” Ledger’s composure cracked for the first time since Vail had known him. The crystal at his throat flared erratically. “The curse was designed to purify?—“

“To find balance,” Daisy corrected, her voice carrying quiet strength. “That’s what you and Grandma never understood. Magic doesn’t want to be pure. It wants to be whole.”

Understanding blazed through Vail’s mind as she watched Daisy work. The curse wasn’t really a curse. It wasn’t meant to eliminate hybrid magic – it was trying to heal the artificial divisions forced upon it by generations of council doctrine. Nora’s ritual hadn’t corrupted natural law; it had accidentally created a way to restore it.

Other students pressed forward, adding their magic to Daisy’s efforts. Witch and shifter energy blended in beautiful patterns, creating protection spells that sang with naturalharmony. Even the ancient enchantments seemed to respond, their usual golden light returning wherever hybrid magic touched them. The corruption retreated before this wave of balanced power, unable to find purchase against such perfect unity.

“Enough!” Ledger’s crystal flared with blinding intensity. Corruption exploded outward with devastating force, carrying all his frustrated ambition. But before it could strike, Vail and Kaine moved as one.

Their magic merged instinctively – fire and bear energy spinning together in a display of raw power that made the very air hum. The corruption recoiled from their combined strength. Where their power touched the shadows, they transformed just as they had for Daisy, becoming something new and clean.

“You see?” Vail addressed the watching students, letting her actions demonstrate what hours of lectures couldn’t convey. “Magic seeks its own level, its own harmony. We don’t need to force it into artificial constraints. It knows what it wants to become.”

Around the courtyard, more witch-shifter pairs joined their power, creating a network of hybrid protection that battled Ledger’s corruption. The crystal at his throat pulsed erratically, its light flickering like a candle in strong wind. For the first time, real fear showed in his eyes.

“The eclipse approaches.” His voice carried dangerous promise as he retreated into the shadows, drawing his failing corruption with him. “We’ll see how well your theories about magical harmony hold when true power is unleashed. Nora’s work was just the beginning – there are older magics, deeper ways of enforcing order...”

The moment he vanished, Vail sagged against Kaine’s solid strength, her recently healed magic protesting the exertion. But the sight of students working together made it worthwhile.Witch and shifter energy continued to dance through the air, creating patterns of light that drove back lingering shadows.

“Well.” Felicity surveyed the courtyard with grim satisfaction. “I’d say that was quite an effective demonstration of practical magical theory.” Her own magic sparked with newfound understanding as she examined the protective array. “Though I suspect we’ve only begun to grasp what’s really possible.”

A ripple of surprised laughter went through the crowd. Student pairs continued practicing hybrid magic techniques, their confidence growing with each successful combination. Even the ancient stones seemed to pulse more strongly where different magical signatures merged as if they too were learning to trust this new balance.

“You pushed yourself too hard,” Kaine murmured, but pride colored his tone as he watched Daisy explaining magic theory to a fascinated group of students.

“Worth it.” Vail leaned into his strength, letting their magic dance together. “Look at them – they’re not afraid anymore. They’re working together.” She watched a young witch tentatively offer her hand to a shifter student, their magic connecting with shy curiosity. “This is what the council should have been encouraging all along.”

His free hand came up to brush her hair back, and their magic hummed contentedly where they touched. “Get some rest. I’ll help Felicity coordinate the cleanup.” His voice carried layers of meaning that made her heart race. “We’ll need everyone at full strength for whatever comes next.”

She started to protest, but a wave of dizziness made her stumble. Kaine caught her easily, concern darkening his eyes. “That wasn’t a suggestion, Headmistress.”

“Fine.” She squeezed his hand, drawing comfort from the way their magic sparked. “But we need to talk about whatLedger’s planning. That crystal... did you see how it reacted to hybrid magic? Almost like it was trying to absorb the energy instead of corrupting it. And the way he mentioned ‘older magics’...”

“Tomorrow.” He pressed a kiss to her temple too quickly for anyone else to notice. “Rest first. Mysteries later.”

THIRTY-SIX

The acrid scent hit Kaine’s nose like a physical blow—burnt metal twisted with winter frost, sharp enough to make his bear’s hackles rise. His massive paws moved silently across the underground passage’s worn stone floor, each step placed with deliberate care despite his bulk. The academy’s ancient tunnels pressed close around them, centuries of magical residue coating the walls in a faint, phosphorescent sheen.

Burke’s bear form padded beside him, their shoulders nearly brushing in the narrow space. His second’s presence steadied him, their years of working together evident in how they moved in perfect sync. A draft whispered through the passage, carrying another familiar scent—Xabir.

“South tunnel,” Burke’s thoughts touched his through their pack bond. “He’s caught the trail too.”

The three passages converged ahead near the artifact vault, its ornate doors rising two stories high. Usually, the protection runes carved into the ancient wood pulsed with steady golden light. Tonight, something was wrong. Darkness writhed across the surface like living entities, distorting the runes’ power. The sight made Kaine’s bear stir uneasily, primal instincts screaming danger.

A soft scraping sound echoed from within. Kaine’s ears swiveled forward, catching the crystalline chime of something moving with deliberate purpose among the shelves. He met Burke’s dark eyes, seeing his own tension mirrored there. Xabir’s wolf form slipped from the shadows to join them, his silver-gray fur nearly invisible in the dim light.

“Now,” Kaine rumbled, the word barely a breath.

They exploded into motion. Kaine and Burke surged through the doorway like a tide of muscle and fury, their combined mass filling the space. Xabir darted between them, wolf-swift, targeting the shadows’ vulnerable flanks. The crystalline figures turned—too smoothly, too coordinated. Their faceted forms caught and fractured the vault’s dim light, throwing kaleidoscope patterns across the ancient stones.

One creature lunged for a shelf of protection amulets. Rage roared through Kaine’s blood. These artifacts were under his security team’s protection—part of the academy’s heritage. His bear’s fury erupted in a thunderous roar that shook dust from the vaulted ceiling. He swung a massive paw, expecting the shadow to dissolve like smoke.

Instead, it partially solidified. The impact jarred up his arm as crystalline edges absorbed the blow, reforming almost instantly. These weren’t like the formless things they’d fought before. These learned. Adapted. Evolved.

He slammed both paws into a cluster of shadows, scattering them momentarily before they reformed in new configurations.

Xabir’s wolf form wove through the chaos like liquid silver, snapping and clawing wherever he spotted weakness.

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