Page 5 of Magic on the Prowl
“Oops, sorry about that,” she said with a sheepish grin. “Seems my spectral pals have developed quite the sense of humor. But don’t worry, I’ll have a stern talk with them later about proper tea party etiquette.”
Despite her outwardly cheerful demeanor, anxiety churned in Daisy’s stomach. She felt the weight of responsibility pressing down on her usually buoyant spirit.
Taking a deep breath, Daisy launched into an explanation of her plan to strengthen the town’s magical defenses. She tried to infuse her words with confidence, but her hands shook slightly as she gestured, betraying her inner turmoil.
“By realigning the ley lines and infusing them with a carefully calibrated blend of enchantments, I believe we can fortify the--”
Daisy’s speech was cut off by a sudden cacophony of sound. The back doors of the hall flew open, and a ghostly orchestra marched in, instruments blaring a jaunty tune slightly off-key. Specters in dated formal wear twirled down the aisles, bringing a macabre waltz to the already chaotic meeting.
Pandemonium erupted as people ducked incorporeal music stands and dodged whirling spirit dancers. Daisy groaned and rubbed her temples, realizing this was going to be a longer night than anticipated.
Mayor Fernwood finally restored some semblance of order and brought the meeting to a close. As people filed out in a daze of confusion and incredulity, Daisy was left standing alone at the podium. Her shoulders slumped as the adrenaline drained away, leaving behind a flood of doubt and guilt.
“Dai, we know this wasn’t your fault” came the gentle voice of Molly Hues. The kind-faced baker laid a comforting hand on Daisy’s arm.
Ivy Sullivan joined them, concern etched on her delicate features. “Sweetie, no one blames you. Magical mix-ups happen to the best of us. Remember when I accidentally enlivened those teacakes? They ran amuck for hours.”
“Giving a whole new meaning to ‘food on the go.’” Daisy quipped reflexively. Then she sighed. “Thanks, guys, I appreciate it. But this is on me. I’m the one who botched the barrier spell. And I’m going to be the one to fix it.”
Determination solidified in her chest, shoring up her bruised confidence. Daisy gave her friends a lopsided smile. “Don’t worry, by this time tomorrow, the only specters haunting our streets will be the fun, quirky ones we know and love. I’ve got this.”
Molly and Ivy exchanged a worried glance but knew better than to argue once Daisy set her mind to something. With parting hugs and admonishments to be careful, they let her go, watching her pink curls bounce away with purposeful strides.
The sun had long since set as Daisy walked the now-quiet streets of Whispering Pines. Her mind raced with magical formulas and enchantment matrices. Maybe if she adjusted the runic configuration and imbued a bit more psychic resonance...
She rushed through town and the forest to the perimeter where the wards were weakest on the Shadowfall side of the woods. She could test her theories on each individual ward and if they worked, then she could hopefully do the fix on a bigger scale.
At the first tree she came to with a spelled sigil, she sat at the base and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Breathing out all distractions, she focused her mind to create the clear and concrete intention of the sigil: to keep anyone with black magic from passing the invisible barrier between this tree and the next. This should imbue the sigil with power to ensure it did what it should.
She visualized the power moving from her heart—the source of her magic—into the symbol engraved in the bark. The marking began to glow a light green. After Daisy felt sure the magic was strong, she moved to the next tree to repeat the process.
A dozen trees later, Daisy plopped onto the ground, exhausted. Having always done a strengthening spell on the whole magical perimeter, she never realized how many individual markers existed. And she hadn’t even progressed from the same side of town where she’d started.
She needed a break and food. Definitely food. A bottle of cold water would be great also.
Suddenly, a twig snapped, and Daisy swung her head around. She peered into the dim forest, looking for what made the sound. It could have been an animal, but it could’ve also been a dark magic wielder being drawn in.
“Who’s there?” she said, climbing to her feet and brushing off her backside. A tingle of unease prickled along her skin.
Appearing from the shadows came a figure, tall and imposing, his presence filling the clearing with an aura of danger.
Daisy's eyes narrowed as she took in his military-like stance. Before she got a chance to really check him out, her gaze locked with his and the air in her lungs disappeared. Her heart thudded hard, and for a second, she forgot what she was doing. Then, she remembered.
"Identify yourself," she commanded, her tone tinged with suspicion. Was this guy from Shadowfall? He couldn’t be a good guy if he was sneaking around.
The stranger regarded her with a wary gaze, his lips pressed into a thin line. "I could ask you the same," he replied, his voice low and gravelly.
"I'm just a witch doing her duty," she retorted, her words laced with defiance. "What's your excuse for lurking through the woods?"
The stranger's eyes flashed with annoyance, a flicker of irritation dancing across his features. "I'm here to ensure the safety of this town," he shot back, his voice dripping with contempt.
Daisy scoffed, her skepticism intensifying. "And how exactly do you plan on doing that, panther?" she challenged, her gaze never leaving his. His brow twitched and she knew she surprised him by knowing he was a shifter. Living in a town full of them, her magic knew the telltale signs—tall, handsome, bursting with muscles, strong chin. He checked all those boxes and more.
Wait, what was she thinking? This was a spy from Shadowfall checking out the town’s weakened defenses. She couldn’t think of him as sexy.
Without warning, the stranger raised his hand, a burst of crackling energy shooting from his fingertips. Daisy's eyes widened in surprise as she instinctively raised her hand, summoning a shield of shimmering light to deflect the attack.
With her other hand, she shot her own spell. The magic caused mud to completely cover the man’s body. He lifted his arms and glanced down at himself.